


Asvista Cove

by nacholibreluvr2006



Category: Love Island (Video Game)
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - College/University, Coming of Age, Drinking, Eventual Relationships, F/M, LITG AU, Personal Growth, Recreational Drug Use, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:26:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 28,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25665115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nacholibreluvr2006/pseuds/nacholibreluvr2006
Summary: When Elena Verano decided to move a thousand miles south to a quaint beach town for college, she knew she was thrusting herself into a world of new experiences. She expected the stress, the all nighters, the parties – surviving freshman year was gonna be hard enough, but throwing the men of Asvista Cove into the mix could be enough to push her over the edge. Will she thrive or just scrape by?**hiatus**
Relationships: Bobby McKenzie/Main Character (Love Island), Lucas Koh/Main Character (Love Island)
Comments: 97
Kudos: 68





	1. Freshman Experience 101

**Author's Note:**

> welcome to asvista cove, home of the seagulls! i hope you all love this little universe i'm crafting as much as i do :)
> 
> tumblr: @zigtheeortega / @masonscig

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asvista Cove was a cute town, warm and inviting just like the last time she’d visited. As gorgeous as the sunrise was, just peeking over the rooftops, the breathtaking cotton candy sky couldn’t do much to distract her from the tight knot in her stomach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this idea came to me after i started thinking about what type of people the season 2 cast would be in college, and i really wanted to make it into a series. and at the encouragement of my friends, i decided to commit to it. [a huge thank you to alicia, esme, chrisha, kate, kat, becky, tilly, bee and presley for being such big helps and encouraging me to write this!]
> 
> i'm already in love with elena, my mc, and i'm so excited to show you all her growth as she gets more comfortable in her own skin and experiences her first semester of college. i hope you love it as much as i do! welcome to asvista cove hehe :)
> 
> also yes, bobby is endgame, but it's gonna take a while before we get there, so buckle up baby!
> 
> [follow me on tumblr: @judgebobby]

She drummed her fingers against her legs, her nerves manifesting in jittery movements. She’d bitten her nails until they were jagged and low, her cuticles looking like a disaster.

 _So much for stopping that habit_ , she thought, staring out the window, the thick strips of trees narrowing slowly, making way for buildings, adorned with bright, pastel paint.

Asvista Cove was a cute town, warm and inviting just like the last time she’d visited. As gorgeous as the sunrise was, just peeking over the rooftops, the breathtaking cotton candy sky couldn’t do much to distract her from the tight knot in her stomach.

“... right, Elena?”

Her mother’s voice took her out of her trance, her attention snapping to the driver’s seat.

“Uh… could you say that again?”

She frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ve been spaced out. I just asked if you were gonna let your sisters move into your room while you’re gone and you didn’t try to argue with me,” she chuckled.

“Sorry, I’m just… nervous I guess,” Elena shrugged, glancing out at the sporadic palm trees planted between the buildings, leaves splayed out like hands, towering over the cozy businesses they surrounded. She couldn’t manage to fake a laugh – it came out as a strained scoff.

“You’ll do great, baby. The first year is an adjustment period, anyways. There’s always time to get your grades up,” she said, matter-of-factly.

“It’s not that, mama…” she trailed off, picking at the loose strings on rips in her denim shorts.

Truth be told, Elena had always had a pretty good relationship with her mom, but that summer was particularly different. Maybe her mom was trying to cram in months worth of bonding into the nearly four month vacay, but it worked.

They’d gotten a lot closer than she’d thought possible. And Elena found herself confiding things in her she never thought she would.

“God, it sounds stupid saying it out loud, but I’m worried I won’t make friends?” She blew air out of her cheeks. “Yeah, that definitely sounded stupid.”

“It’s not stupid, baby. I get you’re nervous, but you know you’ve got your roommates to hang out with before classes start,” her mom reached over, patting her thigh lightly. “You’ve just got to push yourself out of your comfort zone.”

“That’s gonna be hard,” she grumbled, flicking her sunglasses down over her eyes, the car’s sun visor not blocking the bright beams of sunlight.

“It’ll be hard, but it’ll be worth it.”

She rolled her eyes behind her sunglasses. Her mom was right, and she definitely didn’t like it.

A silence settled between them, as they both took in the town, which looked straight out of a movie – The Truman Show, they’d decided, as soon as they passed the ornate wooden sign that said “Welcome to Asvista Cove, home of the ‘gulls!”

She wasn’t used to the humid weather, but she could handle the feeling of her tank top clinging to her lower back if it meant the sun kept shining.

She clicked her lock button, her heart jumping after getting a couple notifications from her “Roomie” chat. She didn’t know much about her roommates except for their names, and the occasional texts they’d sent in the group message to divvy up who was buying and bringing what.

After she learned that she could opt out of living in dorms, she knew she’d chosen her dream school. She could handle sharing commodities, but she drew the line at a shared bathroom and bedroom.

“Do you remember how to get there? You need to get off your phone and watch where we’re going. I don’t want you getting lost going grocery shopping.”

She typed a quick text back, before pocketing her phone. “Yeah, you turn right off the roundabout in the middle of town. The one with the huge fountain.”

“Good thing you knew, because I definitely forgot,” her mom smiled mischievously, veering off to the right past the fountain.

“Mama,” Elena laughed, pretending to push her mom’s shoulder.

“I’m kidding. We’re almost there, El.”

Her stomach churned and fluttered simultaneously. She was excited, but nearly throwing up out of sheer anxiety. To say she was conflicted was an understatement. 

She flipped the sun visor down, eyes darting across her appearance. She smoothed her wild curls that’d freed themselves from her braid, giving up after they sprung back, refusing to be confined by bobby pins.

“You look beautiful.”

“Are you sure I look okay?” She whispered, eyeing her makeup and accessories, the self-consciousness creeping in. She sounded small, even to herself. 

“Here, check the smallest pocket in my purse. There should be a little black tube.”  
  
“This one?” She gestured, showing the scratched plastic tube to her.

“Yes. Put it on,” her mom instructed, flicking her blinker, slowing down at the stop sign.

She swiped the creamy lipstick across her lips, before rubbing them together, pouting into the mirror.

“A red lip? You sure about that?” She raised her brows, clicking the top shut. Her mom was a little on the conservative side; she wasn’t into “heavy” makeup, or so she called it, even if it was something as simple as a dark lip.

“I barely wear it, but I bought it so that I could push myself to be a little more bold,” she said. “Take it.”

She eyed the battered tube, then her mother’s warm expression, slipping it into her bookbag. “Thanks, mama.”

Soon enough, they pulled onto the street of her apartment complex, seeing the quaint pastel-toned units before the entrance.

She appreciated the consistency – it made her wonder just how uniform the whole town of Asvista Cove was, and she was eager to figure that out on her own.

“Do you see building 10? I can’t make out the numbers.”

“Right there!” Elena pointed ahead at the last apartment building on the street.

They rolled to a stop, her phone buzzing with an incoming call as soon as her mom put the car in park.

“Hello?”  
  
“Did you just pull up?”  
  
“Yes –” She was cut off by beeping sounds, and she furrowed her brow at that. “Weird.” She slipped out of the car, stretching deliberately, twisting until she popped her aching back. She’d spent an ungodly amount of time in the car over the span of the past couple days, and she was relieved it was finally over.

“ELENA!” A voice shrieked from the top of the stairs.

She turned towards the sound, and was met with the sight of a short blonde bounding down the stairs, arms outstretched. She practically slammed into Elena, wrapping her arms tightly around her waist, knocking the air out of her lungs.

“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, Elena you’re, like, just as beautiful as you are in your insta selfies,” she pulled back, grinning.

“Oh wow, thank you. You’re so nice,” she laughed airily, still catching her breath from the hug. “It’s so nice to finally meet you in person.” She knew she was coming off as super bland, but she had no clue what to say to the ball of energy before her.

“I’ve been like, up a wall all day just tidying and rearranging everything because I wanted it to be perfect for us. Like, imagine if I’d made a bad impression on you because the couch was ugly. So stupid, but, like, a valid reason to freak out, right?” Chelsea gestured, waiting for a response. “Anyways, it’s nice to meet you!” She continued.

“I’m sure it’s perfect. I trust your style,” she smiled, squeezing her arm.

“Hi!” her mom called from next to the car, walking towards them.

“Mama, this is Chelsea.”

“Hi Mrs. Verano,” Chelsea said, a smile spreading across her face. “Wow you’re both gorgeous. I see where you get your good looks.” 

She giggled, grabbing Elena’s hand, tugging her towards the stairs. “C’mon, I have to show you around _our_ place,” she emphasized the word, before sighing. “That’s never gonna get old, I can tell you that right now.”

“I’m gonna call your dad first, El. I’ll meet you up there in a minute,” her mom said, turning back towards Elena’s car.

“El? Is that your nickname? That’s so cute! Can I call you that?” She asked excitedly.

“Yeah, El or Elena is fine, whatever you feel like calling me.”

“Hmm. I like both. It’s kinda like fridge or refrigerator. You just kinda say whichever fits in the moment,” she nodded, twisting the doorknob. “My ex used to call me Chels and I kinda like it, and he’s an ass face, so I think it’s time I reappropriated it.”

“Chels. I’ll remember that,” she said, mirroring her roommate’s nod.

Elena had been so caught up in Chelsea’s whirlwind of an introduction that she hadn’t even had time to think about her nerves. Maybe Chelsea was going to be the perfect distraction when she needed it. She secretly hoped so, at least.

“Okay, so I got a little carried away with the living room, not gonna lie. But don’t worry about paying me back! I wanted the living room to be spectacular,” she explained, before pushing the door open.

Her breath caught in her throat, her eyes drinking in the stunning interior that Chelsea had managed to make look fresh out of a catalogue.

“I was going for warm and inviting, but with, like, minimalistic touches.”

She raked her gaze over the soft grey of the couch, the bright tones of the pillows that covered it, the plants scattered around the room… it was a gorgeous setup, one that she would’ve picked out for herself if she had the time and money.

“Oh no, you hate it, don’t you? Shoot, I knew your dorm room Pinterest board was old and I should’ve asked you first –”

“No, I love it. It’s perfect,” Elena beamed, Chelsea’s expression quickly mirroring her own. “And for the record, I’m flattered you even looked at my Pinterest.”

Chelsea looked sheepish as she shrugged, trying to hide her soft smile. “I’m just glad you like it.” She bounded over to the counter, flicking on the coffee pot. “Wanna cup of coffee?”

“Oh, that’d be perfect,” she sighed, settling into a barstool at the other side of the kitchen island.

A brief silence settled between them, not necessarily uncomfortable, but already foreign, considering how eager Chelsea was to fill the air with conversation.

“So how was the drive up here?” Chelsea asked, grabbing creamer and sugar, putting 4 – no, 5? She lost count – spoonfuls into her mug.

“It was long. My mom drove my car down here so we could bond, or whatever.”

“That’s so sweet of her! Your mom’s an angel, I can tell.”

The machine’s noise filled the space between them, brewing sounds loud enough to distract Chelsea.

 _God, it’s quiet already? I’m so awful at this_ , she thought, fidgeting in her seat.

Her mom’s words circled through her mind: Push yourself out of your comfort zone. Push yourself to be a little more bold.

She took a deep breath. “Hey, I’m sorry that I’m being quiet. I’m just really bad at introductions and small talk, but please don’t think that means I don’t like you. I really want us to be friends.” 

She turned, her bottom lip poked out in a pout. “Awe, babe!” She circled the counter, running to Elena’s side, gathering her in another warm hug. “You don’t have to be as chatty as me to be my friend. Besides, we’re friends already!”

Elena gripped her back tightly, Chelsea’s bubbly positivity seemingly transferring to her by touch. “Yeah, we definitely are.”

––––

“So Hope and Lottie won’t be here till tomorrow?”

“No, mama, Chelsea said Hope’s gonna be here tomorrow and Lottie’s gonna be here tonight,” Elena said offhandedly, wiping the sweat off her brow. “She already moved her stuff in, but she was visiting a friend for the weekend or something.”

“Do you all have any plans?”

She turned to her mom, pursing her lips. “Probably just hanging out here, why?”

“Here’s $20 for a cab just in case,” she dug in her purse, pulling out a bill.

“Mama, I’m not sure if they even have cabs here. I’ll be fine. You know I’m not gonna do anything crazy,” she shrugged, taking the money anyways.

Her mom eyed her, squinting, her lips turned up at the corner. “Uh huh.”

She knew Elena all too well. Her post-graduation high led to trying a lot of things she’d never done before – a majority being things that she never wanted her mom to find out about.

A lot of it, looking back, wasn’t satisfying, and it made her more paranoid to know that it was pretty much inevitable that her mom would find out. It was like she was sitting on a secret she asked for, but didn’t want.

“Hey!” She furrowed her brows. “Don’t you trust me?”

Guilt might’ve eaten her alive, but she was gonna try her hardest to be convincing.

“Of course I do. Just be safe for me and Dad, alright?”

“Yep,” she answered, turning to survey her newly furnished room. Cozy and minimalist, just like their living room.

Tons of pillows and a couple blankets made for an inviting bed – being cold-natured led her to loving the summer time and despising being from a city where biting cold was normal.

She stared at the cork board above her desk in the corner, smiling at the photos, ticket stubs, receipts, and knick knacks that reminded her of home. She was a long ways away from her hometown, and the simple fact that she couldn’t just bolt back to the comfort of where she grew up scared her shitless.

“Elena?”

Her eyes snapped over to her mother’s voice, cracking at the last syllable of her name.

Her mom had held it together pretty well, but maybe she was just a master at bottling it up. She gathered Elena in her arms, squeezing tightly.

“I’m going to miss you so much. I love you,” she whispered into her daughter’s hair, a moment of vulnerability that Elena wouldn’t forget.

“I love you more, mama,” she said quietly, the familiar feeling of constriction creeping into her throat.

“Dad and I are gonna leave to go get dinner. We’ve got a long drive ahead of us tomorrow,” her mom laughed, sniffling, pulling back to wipe under her eyes.

“Yeah, you should get some rest. Thank you for helping me,” she smiled. “And I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me,” she said, squeezing her mom’s arm reassuringly.

Soon enough, her parents left, and she was left alone with Chelsea – and they were both waiting for their newest roommate, Lottie, to make an appearance.

They chatted about nothing important while making salad for all of them to eat together. Chelsea wanted to save the juicy questions for when Hope showed up.

They sat down, waiting to eat their salads, but after the hour mark, they gave up and dug in.

A couple hours and a movie later, a heavy knock sounded out through the apartment, over the end credits.

“Ooh! That’s gotta be Lottie. Perfect timing, too,” Chelsea practically squealed, springing up from the couch and running to the door.

“Lottie!” She smiled, arms outstretched for a hug.

“Oh thanks, babe, my arms are so tired,” Lottie huffed, dropping her overnight bag into her arms. The tattooed blonde walked in, purse slung over her shoulder. 

“I’m –” she cut herself off, shaking her head. “Anyways, this is our new roomie, Elena!”

Elena stood from the couch, waving at her. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you. We made you dinner, but we didn’t know when you’d be back.”

“That’s so sweet,” Lottie beamed, crossing the living room towards the short hallway to her room. “Sorry I’m late. The boyfriend didn’t want to let me go, if you know what I mean.”

She wiggled her brows, then opened her door, tossing her bags in, Chelsea following suit.

“Be careful with that, Chels. My crystals are in there.”

“Sorry!”

“You were at your boyfriend’s this weekend?” Elena asked, walking over to the counter to sit, watching as Lottie fooled around the kitchen, making herself tea.

“Oh yeah. I’m not happy about doing long distance, but what can we do?” She shrugged. “He’s the one with the thriving career that didn’t have to go to college.”  
  
“Oh, what does he do?”

“He’s only, like, one of the best DJ’s out there right now,” Chelsea answered, slapping her hands on the counter. “Let me play one of his songs for you. I know you’ll be obsessed with it.”

“I’d rather not. It’s definitely gonna make me sad,” Lottie frowned, coiling the lavender tips of her wavy hair around her finger.

“Awe, babe, we can listen to something else to distract you. Or we could watch a movie. Or we could do face masks. Or we could paint each others’ nails. Ooh! Or we could plan a housewarming party!” Chelsea excitedly clasped her hands together.

“A housewarming party?” Elena met Lottie’s eye and they both cocked a brow.

“Yeah, obvi we have to have to host something, because imagine if we, like, establish ourselves as the cool, laid back party hosts so we get invited to more?” She said.

“Hmm. That actually makes a lot of sense,” Lottie’s brows lowered, furrowing. “I don’t really know anyone here, though. Not sure about you, but I’m not okay with inviting a ton of randos inside our home for the sake of possibly getting invited to other parties.”

“I have a plannnnn,” Chelsea trilled, singing.

Elena laughed at Chelsea’s wild expression – she was clearly bursting at the seams to reveal it. “C’mon, lay it on us.”

“Alright, so. First thing’s first, we have to have a GNO,” she nodded, wiggling her brows.

“GNO?” Lottie asked.

“Girls. Night. Out!” Chelsea finger gunned at them with each word.

“Oh, yeah! Sounds good to me,” Lottie said.

“Me, too,” Elena agreed, before even realizing it.

“Okay, so that means we’ve got three yeses, so Hope is getting dragged to the bar with us.”

“Bar?”

“Duh! My cousin’s husband’s friend owns this bar on the beach that’s a total hot spot.” Chelsea said, jittery with excitement.

“Um, not to sound naive, but how are we gonna get in?” Elena asked, chuckling nervously.

“We can get _inside_ , but we can’t drink. That’s what pregaming’s for, babe,” she winked.

“What’s the name of the bar?” Lottie asked, blowing on her cup of tea before sipping it.

“The Thirsty Jerk.”

Lottie snorted, sending warm tea mist across the counter. “Oh my god, that sounds awful.”

Chelsea pouted. “That was rude.”

Lottie coughed, wiping her mouth with a napkin, smearing her black lipstick. “No, I mean it sounds really… masculine.”

“Nah, it’s actually really chill. I mean, do you really think I’d suggest a, like, biker bar to my girls?”

Elena laughed, grabbing another napkin to wipe down the counter. “You’ve got me there.”

\----


	2. Sociology 102

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No matter what happened, she had that memory to cling to – and as she gazed around the car, at each of her roommates, she tried to pocket every detail like a souvenir.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i can't even tell y'all how much the response to my first chapter meant to me! y'all are so kind to me and i can't thank you enough for reading and being as excited as i am! i'm not set on a day when i post bc i'm indecisive as hell, so enjoy this next chapter a couple days early. i hope you enjoy!

The next morning, Elena woke up bright and early, determined to make a good impression on her roommates.   
  
After an hour of cooking breakfast, Chelsea and Lottie shuffled sleepily out of their rooms.

“Oh my god, El, did you make us breakfast?” Chelsea gasped.

“That’s so nice of you,” Lottie said through a yawn. “Thank you.”   
  
“Yeah, thank you so much, babe, you’re the best,” Chelsea flitted to her side to give her a side hug, laying her head on her shoulder.

“You don’t have to thank me. I just wanted to do something nice to commemorate our first day in our apartment,” Elena smiled, pushing her glasses up.

They sat down to eat their french toast in the living room, ready to watch a reality TV show together, at Chelsea’s insistence, when they heard a heavy handed knock at the door, followed by the turning of a key.

“Hope?” Chelsea called, dropping her plate of food onto the coffee table, running over to the front door. “Hi!”

“Oh wow, hi everyone,” she smiled, pushing the door open.

“Elena made breakfast,” Lottie said, standing to walk over to the front door.

“I was wondering what that delicious smell was when I walked up,” she said, rolling her suitcases in.

Elena followed behind Lottie, towards where Hope stood with all of her belongings. “Just wanted to give you a proper welcome.”   
  
“Well, it’s much appreciated. I’m starving.”

After helping Hope move her things in, and reheating their cold french toast, they sat at the barstools, eating breakfast together.

Elena took it upon herself to steer the conversation towards the Girl’s Night Out, and she was secretly hoping that it’d be a unanimous vote.

“So, Chelsea had an idea earlier that we thought we’d run by you, Hope.”

“Oh?” She cocked a brow.

Chelsea held up a finger, chewing. “You explain.”

“We’re thinking of having a Girls Night Out so we can meet some people, so we can have a housewarming party, so we can get invited to parties once school starts,” she explained bluntly.

“Damn, you got straight to the point, huh?” Lottie chuckled, smirking.

“Where are we gonna go out? We can’t get into any clubs, if there even are any clubs around here,” Hope gestured with her fork, circling it around.

“We’ve got a spot planned already, but don’t, like, judge it by its name,” Chelsea warned, eyeing Lottie.

“What? All I said was that it sounds masculine,” Lottie huffed.

“The Thirsty Jerk,” Elena said, cutting off the possible bickering.

Hope screwed her lips so the side, contemplating. “I’m in. Why not? If we don’t like the bar, we don’t have to go back.” She stabbed another piece of french toast, popping it in her mouth. “Let’s plan a housewarming party.”

\----

She stood in front of her desk, palms splayed onto the desk, arms locked, staring intensely at her own reflection. “Elena, it’s a party. You went to those back home. You’ve drank before. You’ve smoked before. You’ll be fine. It’s all gonna be okay,” she assured herself, her pep talk doing the bare minimum to calm her nerves.

“El, you almost ready?” Chelsea called through the door, making her jump.

“Yeah, I’ll be out in just a sec,” she called back, her heart beat picking up, her stomach flipping.

She wasn’t as anxious as she was the day before, when she moved into her new home, but the familiar tingling feeling settled into her limbs, keeping her on edge.

She eyed her braid, and the loose curls that framed her face. She tightened her headband, hoping that maybe it’d tame some of her curls, but to no avail.

_ Ugh. Is this too casual? Or am I underdressed? _ She thought, blowing air out of her cheeks.

She faked a laugh at herself, then finger gunned and winked at her expression. “Ugh, gross,” she said out loud. “Nerd.”

She smoothed her hands over her crop top, then lower onto her denim shorts. “This’ll do, I guess.”

She grabbed her purse, about to head to her door, but stopped in her tracks. She looked back at her desk, hesitating.

After a split second of debating, she snatched her mom’s tube of lipstick, and walked out without a second glance.

When she closed her door behind her, she was met with her three roommates standing in the living room, purses slung over their shoulders, scrolling aimlessly through their phones.

“Ah! You’re ready! Oh my god, El, you look like a million bucks,” Chelsea ran over to her, touching her braid and playing with it. “See, I knew baby pink was your color.”

She turned to the rest of the girls. “And black and violet is Lottie’s color, and green and orange is Hope’s color.”

Hope looked down at her clothes, then back at Chelsea. “How’d you know?”

“You wear it a lot on Insta,” she answered simply.

“I don’t know whether to think that’s really flattering or weird,” Lottie laughed, walking over to Chelsea, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

“It’s flattering,” Hope smiled, and walked over to Lottie, hugging her side.

“Are we about to do what I think we’re gonna do?” Chelsea giggled, wiggling her brows at everyone.

“Bring it in,” Elena said, arms open, gathering her new friends in her arms.

“This is so cheesy,” Lottie grumbled, a grin tugging at her lips.

“You love it,” Chelsea said, squeezing everyone tighter.

“So, shots?” Hope asked, pulling back. She stalked over to the cabinets, heels clicking against the wood floor. She pulled out a large bottle of tequila, and shook it.

Chelsea whooped loudly, shuffling over to another cabinet, retrieving the shot glasses. “Shots!”

\----

Lottie volunteered to be the designated driver, because she wanted to be able to send coherent texts to her boyfriend throughout the night.

A couple shots later, they piled into Lottie’s car, a giggling mess already.

“For the love of god, someone take the aux already,” Hope called to the back seat, where Chelsea and Elena were taking Snapchat selfies.

“Oh no, all of my playlists are an absolute trainwreck. Elena you take it,” Chelsea handed it to her, resuming fluffing her hair to get photo ready.

Elena’s favorite playlist flooded through the speakers, and Chelsea nearly shrieked after hearing the first few chords of the first song. “How did you know this was my favorite?” She yelled, then started singing along loudly, sounding tone deaf.

Hope rolled down the windows, and the wind whipped at Chelsea and Lottie’s loose hair, flicking it around their faces.

Elena looked out the window, realizing that they were driving parallel to the beach, chasing the coastline. The sun was low in the sky, the pink and orange hues painted in long strokes across the canvas that was the seaside.

She felt a smile spread across her face, her joy uncontained, the bliss of the moment catching her by surprise. They’d caught golden hour.

No matter what happened, she had that memory to cling to – and as she gazed around the car, at each of her roommates, she tried to pocket every detail like a souvenir.

The smell of the salt wafting from the waves, the sensation of the warm wind whipping at her face, the sound of her friends’ voices, singing wildly off key, the way the sun’s rays reflected off of their faces, the aftertaste of tequila and lime on her tongue – all of it was burned into her brain, and she could only hope that the high she felt in that moment could be replicated.

She sang loudly, fearlessly, hugging Chelsea to her side, all the way to The Thirsty Jerk.

\----

“This is the place?” Lottie asked, putting the car in park.

“Yep! I know it might not look like much, but, I promise that the back porch is worth it,” Chelsea said, hopping out of the car.

“Is that code for something, Chels?” Hope chuckled, stepping out.

“No, like, I literally mean the back porch is the best part. I’d explain but I wanna see your reactions,” she grinned, then clopped towards the front door, hips swaying. “Have your ID ready, ladies!”

Lottie laughed. “She’s a firecracker.”

Elena mirrored her laugh, sliding out of the car. “She totally is.”

The Thirsty Jerk wasn’t exactly what she imagined. At first glance, it was a little shabby. It was within walking distance of a marina, but not an upscale one with yachts; instead, it was occupied by fisherman’s boats. Clearly the target audience for the bar should’ve been burly men after a long shift, but instead, dozens of cars were scattered across the parking lot, and even more college students, flooding in and out of the doors.

“Wow, it’s pretty busy for a biker bar,” Elena teased.

“Oh, you just wait, El!” Chelsea called back, bounding up the steps to the front door.

The exterior was similar to an old cabin, like a house in the bayou she’d seen in movies. The wood was dark and worn, the rest of the outside so plain that there weren’t any discernible features. She couldn’t have picked the bar out from a lineup if she tried.

The only thing that seemed out of place was the security. Or bouncer. Or bodyguard. Elena had no clue who he was. He was wearing plain street clothes, and he looked borderline elderly. He was nearly the height of the door, with nearly the same stature. His coarse, wiry beard was as thick as it was grey, and his deep set forehead wrinkles and crow’s feet aged him even more than his facial hair.

“Hi, Teddy,” Chelsea trilled, arms outstretched.

His hard features softened, and he unfurled his tightly crossed arms and wrapped them around her tiny frame. “Hiya, Chelsea.”

Hope and Lottie glanced at each other, then at Elena, who shrugged.

“Ladies, this is my friend Teddy. Teddy, these are my roommates, Hope, Lottie, and Elena,” she said, pointing to each of them.

They waved at him, and he smiled back. “A friend of Chelsea is a friend of mine.”   
  
“Awe, Teddy Bear,” she beamed, lightly slapping his tattooed bicep.

He checked their ID’s, barely glancing at them, before letting them in.

They walked down the short hallway into the main area, lit up mainly by black lights and the dim bulbs that hung above the tattered pool tables. Worn leather couches sat in the corner, and a couple scattered tables filled up the remaining space against the wall that wasn’t occupied by the drink counter itself.

College students populated every inch of the bar, just like Chelsea had said. Some were dancing in the space closest to the speakers, while others were playing pool, and even more were seated in groups, cups in hand.

“C’mon, follow me,” Chelsea yelled over the music, grabbing Elena’s and Hope’s hands, tugging them towards the back door.

She pushed it open, and pretty much immediately Elena decided it was gonna be their spot. The wooden picnic tables and foldable chairs littered the deck, and a small stage was set up near the edge of it. She watched as people walked down the short (but rickety) wooden stairs, leading directly to the beach, sand scattered all across the wood.

The wooden awning above the tables was decorated with cheap Christmas lights, strung haphazardly in zig zag patterns, the soft lighting a contrast with the darkening night sky.

“Wow,” Elena breathed.

“Oh, I definitely can see myself spending time out here,” Lottie nodded, her lips upturning at the corners.

“It’s dingy, but it’s home,” Chelsea smiled.

“What’s happening over there?” Hope asked, jerking her thumb at the stage. Elena’s gaze followed her hand towards the group setting up, trying to make out their faces.

“Live bands! Usually local bands or, like, college students trying to make extra cash,” she said. “And when there’s not a band playing, there’s karaoke.”

“Why’d you make that sound so ominous, Chels?” Hope snorted.

“Because we’re clearly gonna be a quartet. Duh!”

“I can’t sing,” Lottie said, shaking her head.

“And? Neither can I. When’s that ever stopped me?” Chelsea retorted, deadpan.

A laugh bubbled from Elena before she realized what was happening, followed by a wheeze, prompting the rest of the group to crack up. After their laughter died down, Lottie nudged her. “The guy in the red polo can’t keep his eyes off you, El.”

“Oooooh,” Chelsea and Hope cooed, prompting her cheeks to redden.

“I’m sure he’s not looking at me,” she said nervously, tucking a loose curl behind her ear.

“No, he’s definitely looking, and I’m jealous as hell,” Hope smirked, looking past her, glancing up and down.

“We can worry about that later, babe. We’ve got all night. Let’s go get a good spot in front of the stage first,” Chelsea said, grabbing Elena’s hand and tugging her toward the band, nearly finished setting up.

\----


	3. Music Appreciation 103

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elena heard coughing in her ear, and turned, getting a faceful of a smug Chelsea. “Oh, you like what you see, don't you, El?”
> 
> “Um, no, well, I –” she stuttered, heat creeping up her neck.
> 
> “It’s okay. Your secret’s safe with me,” she winked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> god y'all's excitement for this makes my heart swell!!! i've been working on this lore and the characters and their arcs and planning the whole month leading up to when i posted the first chapter, so to see people care about it as much as i do makes me so happy, seriously i can't thank you all enough.
> 
> omg this was my favorite chapter to write so far and i hope you enjoy it as much as i did !!!! i love elena so much <3 she's level-headed until alcohol is involved. then she's a dumbass and we love that for her. hehe and a ~certain someone~ is getting introduced.

They settled next to the stage, the band mates at the back, discussing something in a tight huddle. After a few seconds of speaking, they all clapped each other on the back, and dispersed.

“What’s the name of the band?” Elena asked, watching them walk around the stage, piecing together mics and plugging in stage lights as the last rays of sunlight dwindled, making way for the night sky.

“No idea,” Chelsea said.

Hope shrugged. “Same here. I didn’t see any flyers.”

“How long is the set gonna last?” Lottie checked her phone, before pocketing it. “He might have a couple minutes to call me between sets, so I might have to leave for a bit.”

“Usually like 30 minutes to an hour. Not long at all.”

Lottie nodded, and they watched as one of the members walked to a mic, tapping it. “Five more minutes till we go on, so go get your drinks now if you don’t wanna miss us.” No one went inside – pretty much everyone ignored him, still chatting in their groups.

“I’m gonna go see if I can finesse a drink from someone,” Hope winked, sashaying towards the door, and the girls giggled as a guy scrambled to open the door for her.

“Oh shit, he’s calling me now. I’m gonna head towards the beach, so I’ll try to be back before the set’s over so we can dance,” Lottie waved, jogging down the stairs and through the sand, disappearing into the crowd of youths.

“And then there were two,” Chelsea joked, throwing an arm around Elena’s shoulders.

They took a few more selfies – poorly lit and shaky, but memories nonetheless. “I’d kill for another drink. I’m barely buzzed right now,” Elena said in Chelsea’s ear, having to shout over the filler music they were playing from someone’s phone before the set.

Elena saw a shadow from her peripheral, and turned, seeing one of the band mates nearly standing over her, boots hanging over the edge of the stage. The lights above him hit the back of his head, so his face was shadowed, and she could barely make out his features. He brought the mic to his mouth, his raspy voice flooding through the speakers. 

“Hey, to all the men who haven’t dropped at least $20 tonight, you better be buying drinks for the ladies! I mean, c’mon, they’re  _ especially _ beautiful tonight,” he said, pointing out at the crowd. “If I don’t see sealed beer bottles in dainty fingers in the next 10 minutes, we’re striking! No singing from me.”

Elena and Chelsea looked at each other, giggling.

“That’s what I’m talking about,” he whooped, pointing at the guys walking back out with sealed beer bottles. “Yeah, uh huh, sealed bottles because we respect women here.”

“If I hear that anyone tried anything like that tonight, I’ll personally beat your ass, and I can promise you that,” he said, a little louder.

The band member hooked the mic back onto the stand, and walked to the corner of the stage, in front of the amp, plopping down, slinging his bass from around his back to his chest. Popping his pick in between his lips, he used his slender fingers to strum with one hand, tuning with the other.

The lighting was still so shitty that she couldn’t make out his features. She could make out the freckles on his cool-toned honey skin, and the lavender tips of his short locs, and the loose floral fabric of his button up, but his face was still very much darkened as he hunched over his guitar.

One of his bandmates approached him, beer in hand. He didn’t seem to notice, as he strummed away, twisting the knobs.

“Bobby, here,” the guy shouted over the music.

The band member, presumably Bobby, looked up, and grinned, snatching the bottle. Elena’s stomach fluttered as the warm lights revealed his features.

“Thanks, man,” he said, and placed the cap of the bottle in between his back teeth, bending the metal until it popped off. He spat the cap onto the stage, and took a deep swig. She watched his Adam’s apple bob as he drank, his hand wide enough to nearly wrap around the thickest part of the bottle, his tongue darting out of his mouth to catch a stray streak of liquid that’d escaped the corner of his lips –

Elena heard coughing in her ear, and turned, getting a faceful of a smug Chelsea. “Oh, you like what you see, don't you, El?”

“Um, no, well, I –” she stuttered, heat creeping up her neck.

“It’s okay. Your secret’s safe with me,” she winked.

“El, huh?”

She glanced over, seeing Bobby the bass player with both legs swung over the edge of the stage, elbows on his knees, leaning towards her. His bass laid next to him, abandoned.

“Elena, or El, whichever is fine,” she said, watching him swirl the bottle around.

“What’s your last name?”

“You gonna ask for the three numbers on the back of my credit card next?” She laughed, a little surprised by his forwardness, but even more surprised at her own wittiness.

“Nah, just trying to see if your name is as pretty as you are,” he said, a little sheepish.

“That’s such a line,” she said, but then blurted, “Verano.”

“Elena Verano. I like that. Sounds like an old movie star’s name,” he said, taking another sip. “Hey, you want the rest of this? It might just be backwash, but I heard you say you wanted a beer,” he reached out to her, and she took it from him, her fingers brushing his.

His mouth quirked at the corners, watching as she took a drink of the cool beer.

“Mmm, backwash,” she said, laughing, and he cackled, his raspy laugh cutting through the bass of the song playing.

“You’re funny. I like you,” he grinned a toothy grin, revealing a slightly chipped tooth on his left side. “You wanna play pool later?”

“I’m not good at pool.”

He shrugged. “Neither am I.”

She eyed him, taking another sip, and he cocked a brow at her. “I’m taking that as a maybe?”

“Yeah, maybe,” she said, licking the alcohol from her bottom lip, and his eyes followed the motion.

“I’ll be looking for you out there,” he winked, standing up to leave.

Not even a split second after he had his back turned, Chelsea squealed. “Oh my god, El, you have to hang out with him after this! Did you see how he looked at you? You’d be, like, crazy to turn him down.”

“I don’t know…” she cocked her head to the side, watching Bobby laugh with his band mates, throwing his head back to laugh, his whole body reacting to the joke he was just told. “I’ll think about it.”

Chelsea shoved her playfully. “If you pass him up, I’ll never let it go.”   
  
“I don’t think you’re capable of holding a grudge, Chels,” Elena laughed.

“I can hold grudges! I’ll remember this,” she screwed her features up angrily, but gave up immediately, because the playlist faded out, and the band began to play. 

The upbeat punk music reverberated through the speakers, and the crowd in front of the stage pushed forward, Chelsea and Elena sandwiched between the stage and bodies.

Chelsea hopped, hands above her head, shaking her short blonde waves off beat.

Elena wasn’t the best dancer, but she had rhythm. She wasn’t classically trained or anything, but she knew how to bob along to the beat. She’d never really had a reason to try “club dancing”, so it was her first real brush with it.

She swayed for a little bit, but when the band hit the chorus, and the crowd hyped up, she got more wild with it, blending into the sea of gyrating bodies. It was a mix of sensual dancing and near moshing on the worn down wooden deck, which probably should’ve buckled under the weight, but she didn’t question it, instead focusing on enjoying herself with Chelsea.

Within minutes, every band member was glistening with sweat, their faces shimmering under the dim lighting. The lead singer flitted to and from each edge of the stage, engaging with the crowd, grabbing hands and crouching over to get in people’s faces who were pressed up against the stage.

She was so caught up in the moment, that she hadn’t noticed that Hope had shoved her way back to the front. She held the neck of two beer bottles between her fingers of her right hand, and a few shots in paper cups on her left. 

She winked, swaying, and leaned over to shout into Elena’s ear. “Don’t worry, I watched the bartender make these. He was gorgeous.”

“What do I owe you?” She said, and chugged the rest of her first beer so she could grab a shot and another bottle.   
  
“Oh, nothing, babe, I didn’t pay a cent for these.”

“Ooh, shots!” Chelsea yelled, grabbing one, downing it immediately, shuddering.

Hope shook her head, laughing, but the music was so loud that Elena could only tell what she was doing by the soft shaking of her shoulders. They tapped their cups together, and tipped back the shots.

They resumed dancing, and this time Hope was the one to show out. She was just the right amount of casual and sultry that it looked effortless.

Elena hadn’t been ignoring Bobby, not by any means, but she’d been trying to enjoy the music and the booze without the deep pits of her stomach fluttering uncontrollably. The previous tequila shots mixed with the vodka shot and the beers had started to take its toll, and her inhibitions nearly vanished.

Every time she snuck a peek at him, the fluttering turned into a near stampede. Bobby’s brows were furrowed in concentration, his attention almost completely focused on watching his band mates and matching his strums to the beat. Granted, he was a bass player, so his fingers had to work less vigorously than the other guitarist, but nonetheless, he was committed.

She watched as his right forearm flexed, the veins in his hands bulging with the effort. The faster the alcohol hit her, the harder it was for her to focus her gaze on anything that wasn’t him.

_ You’re so fucking weird when you’re drunk, Elena _ , she thought, trying to dance with Chelsea and Hope to take her mind off of him.  _ You can’t throw out your home training because of this guy’s hands _ . 

She kept calling herself creepy in her mind to try to ward her off staring, but she literally couldn’t tear her gaze away. And he noticed.

Bobby’s eyes flickered over to her, and his face quickly morphed from focused to smug, a smirk tugging at his lips. Her cheeks flushed, layered with the previous heat from drinking, and she tried to play it off by smiling and waving.

He flashed her a grin, winking.

“Ooh, who’s that?” Hope shouted over the music, rolling her hips to the beat.

“Elena’s eye candy,” Chelsea yelled back, wiggling her eyebrows.

They were hunched around Elena to hear each other, so they didn’t notice Bobby’s lanky form running and leaping over them until he was already airborne.

“Oh my god!” Elena shouted, watching him twist midair so that the crowd caught him on his back.

Crowd surfing was such a cliche, but he did it so well, and she couldn’t deny it.

He quickly got thrown back on stage, but before he strapped his bass back on, he threw up hand-horns and stuck his tongue out, nose scrunched, tongue piercing on full display. Another cliche that he did well – it was too hot.

She was pressed firmly up against the stage, a sweating mess, the loose curls that refused to be tamed by gel were now plastered to her forehead. That, mixed with her consistent inappropriate thoughts about the bass player she’d just met, made her feel woozy, and a bit overwhelmed.

“Bathroom. Be right back,” she managed, and swam sideways to safety to escape the current of bodies.

She opened the door, walking inside, the slightly cooler air feeling like heaven on her inflamed cheeks. She gulped the remains of her beer bottle, before tossing it in the recycling bin.

“Recycling, huh?”

She turned too quickly, dizziness afflicting her almost immediately. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Oh, um, I saw you recycling your bottle, and I haven’t seen anyone do that tonight,” the guy said, the bass of his voice soft and melodic.

She finally registered his features, and was surprised she didn’t visibly swoon. His skin was marble smooth, statuesque, and he had the body to match.

“Oh yeah. Just doing my part I guess,” she said, trying to focus on not slurring her words.

“Yeah,” he said, smiling at her. “I, uh, noticed you when you came in. But you looked like you were on a mission.”

She was slow to react, her brain finally piecing together the fact that he was wearing a red polo and that he was interested in her. “Oh my god, ‘red polo’! So that was you,” she laughed, not even realizing she needed to provide context.

“Oh, yeah. I do have a name though,” he chuckled. “It’s Ibrahim, but you can call me ‘red polo’, if you’re my friend –”

“I don’t really know you, Ibrahim,” she blurted, cutting him off.

“– wait, I meant to say you can call me Rahim if you’re my friend. But I want to be more than friends,” he tried recovering, a bumbling mess.

“You’re cute, Rahim,” she giggled, reaching out to brush her hand against his arm.

A guy this gorgeous was interested in her, so she wasn’t gonna pass the opportunity up. Yeah, his good looks were effortless, but his flirting needed a lot of work. But she wasn’t interested in unpacking that at the moment. All she was focused on was the near gravitational pull her lower stomach had. It was like she couldn’t resist him. She stepped closer, their bodies nearly touching.

Elena wasn’t a bold person, but apparently a bit of vodka here and tequila there was what did the trick. Hopefully she’d remember the combination by sunrise – she would never be this confident organically.

“Ha, that’s what my mom tells me,” he smirked, placing a hand on her waist. She smelled the alcohol on his breath, too. Liquid courage worked for her, but his wasn’t helping him flirt in the slightest.

“Shhh,” she said, pressing a finger to his lips. “Not funny.”

He looked confused, but before he could reply, her mouth was on his. She didn’t care that they were in a crowded bar. Maybe she’d regret it, but she had to do something to relieve her physical frustrations.

Their mouths moved languidly, her lips parting, tasting the cheap beer on his tongue, but she didn’t mind. He was an incredible kisser, way more experienced than she thought he’d be, considering how elementary his flirting game was.

His hand was firm on her hip, grounding her. She reached up to touch his face, running her fingers across his short stubble. When he ran his tongue across her bottom lip and splayed his hand across the middle of her back, grazing the bare skin between her cropped top and shorts, she groaned into the kiss.

She felt a tap on her shoulder, followed by a cackle. “Oh, shit, Elena. I didn’t think you’d be the first one to make out with a stranger.”

She pulled back, disoriented, registering that it was Lottie snickering at her. She looked back at Rahim and saw her red lipstick smeared all over his lips, staining his short mustache, too, and a combo of mortification and sobering up washed over her. She stepped back, her eyes widening. “I normally don’t do this. I don’t know what came over me. I-” She shook her head, trying to clear the rest of the haze.

“No, no, it’s okay. It’s more than okay,” he smiled. They both looked down, realizing his hand was still on her waist. “Sorry. Um, do you wanna swap numbers?”

Elena glanced at her, who gave a subtle nod. As soon as they swapped numbers, she booked it to the bathroom, Lottie on her heels.

She bent over the stained sink, splashing the freezing water on her neck, droplets darkening her pink top. “God, that was so embarrassing. In front of everybody like that?”

“Your first bar makeout?” she grinned, pumping the handle of the paper towel dispenser, before tearing it off to hand to Elena.

“I don’t know what I was thinking. I wasn’t thinking. Why the hell did I do that? I barely knew his name,” she wiped at her neck and forehead, taking off a bit of her foundation, but she didn’t care.

“Ah, it happens to the best of us. Don’t be too hard on yourself,” she dismissed her gently. “You certainly picked a good one, though. I mean, he  _ was _ staring at you all night.”

“Yeah.” She replied, staring at her smudged lipstick in the mirror. Yeah, Rahim had been staring at her, but she was fixated on someone else.

“You don’t sound too excited,” Lottie frowned, reaching out to rub her shoulder. “But seriously, if you’re uncomfortable, we can head back home.”

“No, I’m good,” she sighed, using the paper towel to wipe off the remains of her lipstick. Instead of reapplying, she settled for chapstick. So much for that.


	4. Introduction to Cue Sports 104

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “He’s clearly interested. Are you gonna hop on that?”
> 
> “Um, not sure,” she giggled nervously.
> 
> “Elena, he literally leapt into a crowd to impress you. I think you should at least let him buy you a drink.”
> 
> “Well, I mean, he did ask me to play pool with him,” she shrugged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahh im so glad yall like punk bobby !!! and u like this series so far !! thanks to everyone that's kept up w it so far. yall are the best!
> 
> follow me on tumblr: @judgebobby . i'm more active there!! :)

Lottie and Elena settled for sitting in a couple abandoned lawn chairs; there was no hope for them trying to push to the front with Chelsea and Hope.

Soon enough, the performance winded down, and the singer thanked the crowd for being supportive, and everyone dispersed, karaoke immediately starting.

Chelsea and Hope wandered over to them, visibly sweating. Chelsea’s curls had flattened, the bottom layer of her hair stuck to her neck.

“That was a rush,” she said, a little withered.

“Damn, I didn’t think I’d be the one to out party the Energizer bunny herself,” Hope laughed, hand on her hip.

“No, I just need some sugar or, like, a granola bar or something.”

“We can go get a virgin pineapple juice, babe. That’s bound to pick you up,” Lottie said, grabbing Chelsea’s hand and leading her inside.

Hope plopped into Lottie’s abandoned seat, fanning herself with her hand. “I think I’m gonna chill for the rest of the night.”

“You earned it, babe. How are you so good at dancing?” Elena shook her head in awe.

“Dance team paid off, huh?” Hope grinned. “We didn’t ever compete or anything, so you didn’t have to be, like, exceptional to get in, but yeah, I picked up a thing or two.”

She took a swig of her beer, and offered it to Elena. “Do you want it? I’m good for the night.”

She drank the rest – probably not a good idea – and felt eyes on her. She glanced over at Hope, catching her smug expression.

“So… who’s the bass player?”

“Oh, uh, his name’s Bobby,” she said simply.

“He’s clearly interested. Are you gonna hop on that?”

“Um, not sure,” she giggled nervously.

“Elena, he literally leapt into a crowd to impress you. I think you should at least let him buy you a drink.”

“Well, I mean, he did ask me to play pool with him,” she shrugged.

“El! Atta girl. Remember we’re here to get connections, so if you take him up on the pool game, maybe you can figure out who he knows. He’s in a band, so,” she gestured at all the people around her. “It might be our best bet.”

Elena nodded, picking at the plastic label on the glass, bouncing her leg.

“Oh, well, looks like you’ll have to decide fast. He’s coming this way,” she said, standing. “I’m gonna go talk to some strangers,” she grinned, and waved, striding away.

She focused on her breathing, trying hard to calm her pulse. She refused to look up at the crowd, because she knew he’d be close, and she didn’t know if she was ready to talk to him.

“Elena!” She turned and watched Bobby jog over, the chains on his black jeans jangling. He plopped down into the chair next to her, breathing hard.

“Hey,” she smiled softly, mirroring his big grin.

“How’d you like the set?” He panted, his chest heaving with effort. Her eyes flicked down to his exposed skin, his freckled chest slick with sweat.

“It was really great,” she blurted, trying to divert her eyes to keep her thoughts clear. “I’ve never been to a punk show before, so this was a lot of fun.”

“Oh yeah, they’re so much fun. Better at a bigger venue, though, not gonna lie,” he said, leaning forward, elbows on his knees. “I’m glad I took your punk-show virginity,” he laughed raspily.

A surprised laugh forced its way out of her throat before she could stop it. “Wow, you really just went for it.”

“Yeah, I tend to do that,” he said. “So you wanna play pool?”

There was a glint of hopefulness in his eye that she couldn’t resist. 

“Yeah, sure. Let’s go.”

He beamed, sitting up straighter. He sprung up from his seat, and held his hand out to her. “C’mon, lemme show you to my favorite table.”

She grasped his hand, and stood, but neither of them let go. He turned, walking toward the door to the bar, his grip on her tight as they wove through the crowd. His hand nearly engulfed hers, his palm warm against her skin.

He opened the door, motioning for her to go in first, and when he followed suit, he lightly touched the small of her back with the pads of his fingers, eliciting a slight shudder from her.

He steered her towards the section of pool tables, picking the one all the way in the corner, somehow secluded amidst the busy bar. Most people were either at the drink counter or on the back deck, so the pool area was more laid back.

“Pick a pool stick. I’ll set the balls up,” he said, pointing to the group of sticks in a tall box against the wall.

She grabbed one at random, not really sure what she was doing, and one for him too. Meanwhile, Bobby was setting the balls up in the metal mold, positioning the triangle in the center of the table. He grabbed the cue ball and tossed it in the air lightly, catching it, before setting it in the center of the table.

“I didn’t know if you needed a particular type of stick so I just picked a random one,” she said, handing his over.

“Nah, you don’t need a lucky stick if you’re just good,” he teased.

_ That couldn’t have been an innuendo, right? _ She thought, her cheeks flushing involuntarily.

“Alright, so we’re playing 8-ball. You see all those balls there? The goal is for us to hit all of our balls, stripes or solids, into the pockets. Then after you get all of those in there, you hit the 8-ball into one,” he said, using his pool stick to gesture, “and then you win.”

“Sounds easy enough,” she murmured to herself, not really meaning for him to hear it. She was a competitive person, but she wasn’t naturally good at games like these. She enjoyed strategy over the actual game itself.

“Damn, you’re getting cocky already?” He cocked a brow, chalking the tip of his pool stick. “If you’re so cocky, I say we raise the stakes a little bit with a bet.”

Her face scrunched in confusion. “Um, I’ve never played before. Why would I bet on anything when there’s a really low chance I’ll win?”

“Because the stakes are still low. Let’s bet on a date,” he grinned, leaning on the stick, hand on his hip.

She shook her head. “Bobby, why wouldn’t you just… ask me?”

He shrugged. “I dunno. It’s more fun this way.”

Elena snorted – another surprise.  _ He _ was a surprise. And she couldn’t help but embrace the giddy sensation she felt when thinking about the possibility of a date with him.

“Okay. I’m down.”

He nodded, and dug in his pocket, pulling out an arcade coin. “Heads or tails?” He asked, positioning the coin on his thumb.

“Heads.”

He flicked his thumb, the coin twisting midair, before he snatched it, slapping it on the back of his hand.

“The moment of truth,” he said, pulling his hand back. Heads.

“Ladies first,” he said, flashing another warm smile.

When she stood there awkwardly, he nodded. “Ohhhhh. Okay. Let me show you how to shoot.”

He propped his stick against the wall, and came to stand behind her, lifting her stick to rest it on the table. “You’re gonna have to use your dominant hand to actually hit the ball, so take it in that one.”

She did as he asked, gripping high up on the stick with her right hand. “Nah, you need to hold it a little lower.” He gently grasped the top of her hand and slid it down, his other hand rested on her waist.

“Alright, so your other hand needs to be stretched out, but hook your pointer finger – yeah, like that. Now stick the tip of the cue through that,” he said, guiding both of her hands from behind her, the warmth of his chest and arms making her shudder. “Pull back your arm, and strike forward but don’t, like, push the ball. Just tap it with as much strength as you can.”

“Like this?” She mimicked the movement he described, and she heard him murmur in approval, his lips almost brushing her ear.

“Sometimes you have to lean into it,” he said, gruffly, his left hand, which had dropped to her hip, burning against her skin.

She blushed, thankful that he was behind her. She leaned forward, closing one eye so that she could aim, cocked her arm back, and struck the cue ball, watching as it hit the edge of the triangle, dispersing the balls.

None of them rolled into a pocket, but it was a good start.

“Wow, you’re a natural,” Bobby said, seemingly impressed, walking over to grab his stick. She was shocked at the disappointment she felt when he moved away from her.

“You’re just saying that to make me feel better about sucking.”

“I don’t say things unless I mean them, El,” he pursed his lips, leaning over the longer side of the table, closer to the cue ball. His process was a lot faster, and this time he struck a solid ball, and it rolled into the corner pocket.

“If you hit one and make it, you get to keep trying until you miss. So if I really wanted to, I could beat your ass in one turn,” he teased.

“Next time I need to block out the sun, I won’t wear a hat. I’ll just stand behind your big ass head,” she said, rolling her eyes at him, a smile tugging at her lips.

“Good comebacks, too? You gotta stop being my dream girl or else I won’t be able to focus on winning,” he winked.

_ I should’ve worn more foundation tonight. I can feel myself blushing like an idiot _ , she thought.  _ No doubt he can see it, too _ .

He leaned over the table, head low, watching the path his ball was going to travel, calculating. He trapped his tongue ring between his teeth, his brow furrowed in concentration.

A vein in his forearm bulged, and Elena tried to not stare at it, but to no avail. His fingers splayed across the green felt of the table, and her mind replicated the position of his hand on her lower stomach.

The sharp crack of the tip against the ball ripped her attention from the inappropriate thoughts, and he let out a whoop as another solid ball rolled into a pocket. “Two for two.”

He knocked another in, and missed the last one, sucking his teeth. “Shit, I could’ve made that.”

“But you didn’t,” she shrugged.

“And now you’re clowning me. Be still my beating heart,” he clutched his chest, the rings on his fingers clacking against his necklaces.

She chuckled, and assumed the position, aiming at a yellow striped ball next to a corner pocket. The haze of alcohol hadn’t worn away, so she was at a huge disadvantage. When she hit it, and it rolled steadily until it dropped, she jumped up, clutching her chest.

“I got one!”

“Oh hell yeah! C’mon, don’t you have a victory dance? You should be doing it right now,” he circled his shoulders one at a time.

“I’ll save it for when I win,” she mumbled, already intensely focused on the next ball.

They continued like that for a while, going back and forth, until she had three balls left, and him one. When he shot his last ball and it rolled in, she groaned.

“You said you weren’t that good at pool, you liar.”

“What, do you not want me to win?” He asked, looking smug.

“I…” She had no comeback.

“Uh huh, that’s what I thought,” he smirked. “I’m shooting it into that corner pocket. You have to say it and do it or else it doesn’t count. Kind of a weird rule, but it makes it harder at the end.”

He made the final shot, the 8-ball rolling into the pocket he claimed. He slammed his pool table down, jumping up and down, not caring that nearby barflys were giving him funny looks.

He whooped and strode over to her, arms outstretched. She stepped into his arms, hugging him back, the defined muscles of his lean body pressing against her own, making her stomach flutter.

She moved away first, pretending it was because she was putting her pool stick back in place. “Congrats, Bobby.”

She hadn’t realized he’d followed her, also placing his pool stick in the box, his fingers grazing hers.

He leaned in, whispering into her ear, lips almost touching her lobe. “Don’t tell anyone this, but one of the legs is broken, so the table is wobbly. If you pull out the little coaster they use to level it out, it’s a lot easier to hit it into the pocket,” he grinned mischievously after she turned towards him.

“Oh, you little cheat,” she laughed, shoving his shoulder.

“Nah, I wouldn’t say a cheat. I just used an advantage… that you didn’t know about,” he shrugged innocently. “But I mean, you were the prize so I’d have done anything to get that.”

She rolled her eyes to mask her flushed cheeks. It was embarrassing how much she was blushing. It wasn’t out of character for her to get flustered, but not this many times from the same guy.

“You’re just saying that. You barely know me, stranger.”

“No, but I can tell that the more I get to know you, the more I’m gonna like you,” he said, sincerely.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, cutting off her response, which wasn’t gonna be nearly as thought out and sincere, because her brain was short circuiting at the fact that this random gorgeous punk boy just bet a date with her and won.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Chels is done for the night,” Lottie said, talking loudly over other voices. In the background, Elena could hear Hope wrangling a drunk Chelsea.

“I didn’t think she was that much of a lightweight.”

“We didn’t either,” Lottie sighed. “We’re in the car, so you should come soon. I’m not sure how long Hope can keep her preoccupied.”

“Okay. I’ll be out in a few minutes,” she said, hanging up. She furrowed her brows, apologetic. “I have to go.”

“Oh, yeah, of course,” he said, disappointment evident in his tone.

“So… when are you planning on redeeming your prize?” She surprised herself with how flirty the question came out.

A slow smile spread, lighting up his entire face. “Well, there  _ is _ a party tomorrow night at the beach behind the Haverlow Boardwalk, if you want to come.”

“Can I bring my friends?”

“The more the merrier.”

“I guess I’ll see you then.”

“Yeah. I’m looking forward to it,” he nodded, still beaming. “See you tomorrow, El.”

She waved, heading out the front door of the bar and to the car. She slid into the front seat, grateful that Hope was taking care of Chelsea, because she was distracted, mulling over everything that’d happened that night so she wouldn’t forget.

After they helped Chelsea into bed, Elena settled into her own, floating – both because of the alcohol-induced vertigo, and Bobby.

\----


	5. Speech 105

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Our El was a little preoccupied,” Lottie laughed.
> 
> “Oh you mean by the bass player? Bobby, I think?” Chelsea asked, before taking a deep gulp of water.
> 
> Lottie furrowed her brow. “I meant red polo.”
> 
> Her roommates’ eyes widened, and her cheeks burned under the heat of three pairs of curious eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is kind of a filler chapter but i absolutely love writing the roomie dynamic of elena, chelsea, lottie, and hope!!!! they're my favorite gals <3 very different girls but they all get along so well (for now hehe)!!
> 
> i'm having so much fun writing this and it's so weird to me that i'm already 5 chapters in?? where has the time gone LMAO i fr cannot thank y'all enough for tuning in and being so kind to me in the process !
> 
> shoutout to the c-clan love y'all mwah <3 shouting em out bc they've all done it and i wanna do it too LMAO
> 
> follow me on tumblr @judgebobby

Sunlight streaked through the blinds, waking her before she was ready to get up. Elena was a reluctant morning person with a strict internal clock. No matter how late she stayed out, she was gonna wake up early.

She peeled herself out from under her sheets, untangling her legs before stepping down unsteadily, walking towards her bathroom.

She splashed some water on her face, throwing on her glasses and her favorite cardigan, before shuffling into the kitchen.

As she turned on the coffee pot, the front door knob turned, and Hope strode in, bags on her wrists, box in hand.

“Oh, you’re up. Hey, El,” she smiled, setting the bags on the counters.

“Hey, Hope,” she waved, before grabbing two coffee mugs from the cabinet above the pot. “You want a cup?”

“That’d be great, actually,” she said gratefully, placing the food in the cabinets and the fridge.

“I got us some doughnuts from the shop like right across the street. I ate one on the way back, and lemme tell you, they’re delicious,” she held a small box out to Elena.

She grabbed a plain glazed doughnut, and chowed down hungrily, her appetite coming back in waves after a night of drinking.

“What’re you doing up so early?” She asked between bites.

“Oh, I’m just a morning person. I thought I’d get some of my errands out of the way,” she shrugged.

“Same. Even if I’m out late, I always wake up early.”

Hope shook her head. “I’m glad someone understands me, but I hate it for us. It’s like reverse insomnia.”

Elena used her free hand to pour the coffee into the mugs. “That’s a perfect description if I’ve ever heard one. How do you take it?”

“Black with like two spoonfuls of sugar. Thanks,” Hope said, hanging up the reusable shopping bags.

“Wow, same here,” Elena laughed. “I guess we have the same morning routine so far.”

She handed the mug to Hope, and she gratefully took it, blowing at the steam, before taking a small sip. “Mmm, perfect. Thank you.”

“No problem.”

They drank their coffee and ate another doughnut in silence, the sounds of seagulls squawking outside of their window filling the void.

“So, you gonna tell me what happened last night with the bass player?”

Elena sighed. “Yeah, but I’ll wait till the rest of the girls are up.”

Hope grinned, smug. “I thought so.”

An hour or so later, Lottie awoke, joining them for cold doughnuts, and a movie. Finally, around noon, Chelsea emerged from her room, her hair a tangled, frizzy mess.

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Lottie chuckled, standing to greet her with an arm slung around her neck. “You sleep well?”

“Like a sack of potatoes,” she said through a long yawn, stretching dramatically. “I smell doughnuts.”

“On the counter, babe,” Hope pointed.

She grabbed the box and a glass of water, plopping onto the sofa next to Elena, laying her head on her shoulder.

“Okay, so now that everyone’s here, we’ve gotta talk about everything that happened last night, because we were all split up,” Hope said, eyeing everyone individually.

“I was sober so I was the most boring. Uh, I got hit on like once and got offered a beer, but nothing crazy. I talked casually to some people, but they were drunk so I doubt they remember me enough to invite me to a party,” Lottie recounted, brows furrowed. “Sorry ladies. Did you have any luck, Chels?”   
  
“Um, not really. Like, I had a guy make a comment about my ass, but, like, nothing out of the ordinary. I talked to some sweet girl but I can’t for the life of me remember her name,” Chelsea said between bites. “What about you, El? I didn’t see you much after the concert started.”

Elena squirmed underneath the knowing gaze of Lottie and Hope.

“Our El was a little preoccupied,” Lottie laughed.

“Oh you mean by the bass player? Bobby, I think?” Chelsea asked, before taking a deep gulp of water.

Lottie furrowed her brow. “I meant red polo.”

Her roommates’ eyes widened, and her cheeks burned under the heat of three pairs of curious eyes.

“Spill, now, please,” Hope begged, placing her hand on Elena’s forearm.

Elena took a deep breath, pushing the air out of her lips until she made a frustrated raspberry sound. “Okay, but don’t judge me.”

“No judgement here, babe,” Lottie promised, crossing her heart with her black acrylic-adorned fingernail.

She launched into a detailed account of the night, from meeting Bobby, to making out with Rahim, to ending the night with Bobby, and the bet he won.

“Oh my god, El, he’s the sweetest! When are you seeing him again?” Chelsea asked.

“Uh, well, we’re all gonna see him tonight, because he invited me to a bonfire on the beach behind the Haverlow Boardwalk,” she tucked a curl behind her ear.

Hope and Chelsea gasped, while Lottie cackled gleefully. “You devil!” She clapped.

“I shouldn’t have made out with Rahim. I feel awful about it. He’s attractive, but I literally don’t know anything else about him,” Elena shook her head, falling back against the cushions.

“Well, you don’t have to worry about him tonight. There’s no harm in testing the waters,” Chelsea shrugged.

“I will say, I definitely didn’t think you were gonna be the one to makeout with a stranger at the bar. I thought it’d be Chelsea,” Hope grinned, cracking up.

“That’s what I thought!” Lottie said, prompting Chelsea to frown at them.

Elena hugged her against her side. “Maybe you can prove them right tonight.”

Chelsea wiggled her brows. “Oh yeah, those guys better be ready. I’m in the mood to smooch.”

While Lottie and Hope broke into a fit of giggles, Elena basked in the moment, trying not to think about the decisions she was going to have to make.

\----

“Do you know where it is?” Hope asked, looking over her shoulder to reverse out of the spot.

“Yeah, I’ve been there a couple of times,” Chelsea murmured, looking up directions on her phone. “Just head to the beach and I can tell you where to go.”

“I can plug it into the GPS. I’ve got aux cord duty anyways,” Lottie shrugged, hitting play before anyone could say anything.

The club music flooded through the speakers, a little more hectic than Elena liked. When the bass dropped, Lottie banged her head, dancing erratically in the front seat.

Chelsea’s eyes widened, glancing at Elena, a knowing look. Even though they’d only been roommates for a few short days, she could tell exactly what Chelsea was thinking by a single look.

On top of that, it was common knowledge that Chelsea could listen to any type of music. She’d hum off tune and sway her hips to anything that had a melody – so if a song grated at her ears, Elena knew it was especially awful.

After another 30 seconds of torture, Lottie twisted the volume knob down just enough for it to be background music. “That’s K’s new song,” she beamed, pushing her blonde waves away from her face. “I shouldn’t be showing it to you, because it’s not out yet, but I mean, I couldn’t resist.” She gushed about her boyfriend’s upcoming album for a little while longer, showing snippets from a few of her “favorites”.

Chelsea tapped away on her phone, then locked it, paying close attention to Lottie’s ramblings.

Elena’s phone buzzed in her pocket, and she dug it out, reading the preview.

_ Chelsea: she should’ve kept it a surprise :( _

A snort ripped from her nose, and she clapped her hand over her mouth, playing it off as a cough when Lottie asked if she was okay.

Asvista Cove probably took twenty minutes to drive straight through. It was a small town compared to where Elena was from, and it took a lot of getting used to. She was grateful for how quaint it was; living in a busy city that was alive the majority of the day had left her in a constant state of stress, to the point that she felt anxious if she was sleeping – like she was missing out.

Being able to drive down a street with the windows down, the only sound the rumbling engine and the squawk of seagulls above, was a luxury she’d never take for granted.

“This is it! Oh my god, I hope the booths are open. I want some cotton candy or, like, taffy or something,” Chelsea leaned her head out the window, her face one of an awestruck child.

Hope flicked on her blinker, before slowing to turn into the parking lot across the street from the boardwalk. The sun was low in the sky, the tall pier casting shadows over the sand.

She turned the engine off, the sticky heat seeping into the open windows almost immediately. “I don’t see anyone down there,” Hope said, tucking her sunglasses into the folds of her headwrap.

“Well, we can pregame a little,” Lottie grinned, digging into the brown bag at her feet, pulling out a bottle of moscato, and a couple plastic cups from home.

“Can I do the honors?” Chelsea practically vibrated in her seat from excitement.

“As long as you do it out of the window and don’t get my seats sticky,” Hope warned.

Chelsea took the bottle, holding it outside of the window above the gravel lot, her small hand wrapped around the neck of it dwarfed by the size of the base. She twisted the cork until it popped out, a small spray of fizz spewing out onto the side of the car.

Elena handed her cup after cup, and she filled it generously, except for Hope’s. She poured a taste, just enough for her to sip on it with them.

“Are we gonna propose a toast? I wanna go first,” Chelsea said, swirling her cup.

“Go for it, babe,” Elena encouraged.

“So, as you all know I came here a lot as a kid, and I have a lot of, like, nostalgia associated with this place. When I decided to come here for college, I was honestly really scared, but, like, I was more worried that I’d be chasing that warm fuzzy feeling I got as a kid. But you guys, like, changed that for me in a way. I’m already making memories that give me a warm fuzzy feeling when I think back about them,” Chelsea’s smile was soft, genuine. “So, I raise a toast to new adventures!”

They tapped their plastic cups together, then tipped them back, all looking pleasantly surprised with how sweet the $7 bottle of moscato tasted.

Elena wrapped her free arm around Chelsea’s shoulders. “Awe, Chels, you’re such a sweetheart.” Hope and Lottie agreed, reaching out to rub Chelsea’s arms.

“Don’t think that you’re all free from making a toast, too! C’mon, I hate waiting,” she giggled as Elena squeezed her tighter.

“Ah, I’ll go,” Lottie said. “Obviously, I’m not everyone’s cup of tea, and I’m totally at peace with that. I was scared as hell that all of you would immediately reject me, because let’s face it, I look unapproachable.”

They laughed, and Lottie grinned, continuing. “But you’ve all accepted me, and I’m really happy that I get to start off my college career with great friends and roommates by my side.”

“Awwww,” Chelsea pouted, her lip wobbling. “That’s, like, the nicest thing I’ve ever heard.”

Elena and Hope mirrored Chelsea’s awes, also just as touched.

“Yeah, yeah, don’t get used to it,” Lottie smirked. “I’m not normally so forward. Anyways, to new friends!”   
  
They tapped the rims of their cups again, taking another deep swig.

“Well, I’m empty, but I’ll toast anyways,” Hope said. “I moved here with the intention of focusing on school and that being my number one priority with no distractions. That included making friends. I didn’t think I’d click with each of you so quickly, and I’m grateful for how welcoming each of you are. So… I guess I’m saying I’m happy I was wrong.”

Chelsea’s eyes shimmered, bottom lip quivering. “Hope,” she groaned, wiping under her eyes. “You can’t do that to me! I spent, like, five whole minutes on my makeup.”

“Awe, you’re a softie,” Lottie teased, lightly punching Hope’s arm.

“We love that about you,” Elena added.

Hope shrugged. “Ah, stop it. I don’t want to get all emotional. To a new school year!”

They threw their drinks back again, forgetting to tap them together. Elena finished off her drink, Lottie following soon after.

“Okay, El, your turn.”

Elena had been relatively quiet. She wasn’t super chatty as a person anyways, so being the center of attention was a source of anxiety for her, whether she wanted it to be or not.

“Oh, uh, I probably should’ve thought more about this one,” she chuckled nervously, fiddling with the button of her denim shorts.

“That’s okay! It’s, like, organic. From the heart.”

“You don’t have to bare your soul like we did,” Hope teased.

She took a deep breath, and glanced out the window at the horizon, watching the last slivers of daylight streak across the waves, reflecting off the water like an art piece she’d find in a museum.

“First and foremost, I’m introverted. I’ve always been that way. And honestly, I’d be happy that way for the rest of my life if I had the choice,” she started.

“I like my comfort zone. I like doing things that aren’t challenging. I don’t like the nerves I get when I do things I’m not used to. But… that’s also why I left. I could’ve stayed in the city, gone to the university down the street from my high school, but… I didn’t want that. And when I was driving into Asvista Cove with my mom, I was worried I’d made a huge mistake. But… doing things that made me uncomfortable was what led me to you guys, so… I think I might try it more often.”

Tears streaked down Chelsea’s face, and she wrapped Elena in a hug, sloshing her drink around, a few drops getting on the floor. Both Hope and Lottie reached for Elena’s free hand, squeezing it.

“To us,” she smiled, raising her drink.

“Simple. I like it,” Lottie grinned, taking a swig from the bottle.

“To us!” Chelsea shouted, drinking deeply.

\----


	6. Oceanography 106

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once she was safely on the roof, she took a second to look around. “The roofs are the highest point on the beach, so it’s my favorite place to go when I’m here.”
> 
> She had a full, panoramic view of the midnight ocean, the waves glimmering for miles. And when she raised her gaze, she was just as enamored by the sky, able to make out hundreds of stars and craters on the moon itself.
> 
> “Wow,” she breathed. “It’s gorgeous.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok so party number 2 is in motion <3 LMAO i really do love writing parties so i'm sorry if that's boring to you but i promise there's more plot coming !
> 
> thank you all for reading if you have been. seriously, i'm so grateful for yall !! i appreciate every single comment i get and im sorry if it takes me a while to get to them lol i really just post/read my friends fics! and check my inbox pretty rarely but i promise ill make more of an effort! anyways, enjoy some bobby <3
> 
> follow me on tumblr @judgebobby

As soon as the moon made its appearance, the girls walked towards the bright bonfire, a blaze of orange contrasting against the midnight hues of the sea.

Elena tugged at the seam of her bikini top, stretching it to cover her side boob. She crossed her arms, covering the top of her stomach.

“Hey,” she grabbed her hand, pulling it off of her torso, squeezing it. “You look great. I wouldn’t have let you leave the apartment if you looked like a hot mess.”

She relaxed a bit at that, gripping her hand back. “I’m just a little nervous. I think I need a drink.”

Lottie turned back at them and shook the bottle of moscato. “Here, chug some and then pace yourself when it hits you.”

Probably horrible advice, but she drank anyways, taking it by the neck, tipping it back till the sweet bubbly liquid hit her tongue. She drank until she had to come up for air, a burp ripping from her throat before she could stop it. She slapped a hand over her mouth, mortified.

Chelsea and Lottie cracked up, stumbling a bit, trying to control themselves while they were racked with laughter. Hope grimaced, clearly grossed out.

“Sorry, I don’t know where that came from,” she talked through her hand, muffling her apology.

“I used to be able to burp the alphabet,” Chelsea said, snatching the bottle from Elena’s hand. “Well, actually, that’s a lie. I usually got to like ‘O’ before I threw up on myself.”

“Um, let’s not try it,” Hope scrunched her nose. “I believe you.”

Elena’s feet hit the sand, the thin, top layer cool when her toes grazed the top, but when her heels dug into it, she shuddered. The chilled wind from the beach whipped her hair, raising goose bumps on her skin, a sharp difference to the still warm sand at her feet.

“I wonder if anyone’s gonna swim,” Elena murmured to herself, just being able to make out the bodies in the distance, as well as the song playing through a portable speaker someone must’ve brought.

“I’m definitely not. I don’t want to get my hair wet,” Hope said, instinctively tightening her scarf, her box braids piled into a neat bun at her crown. 

“If I would’ve known people were actually considering swimming, I wouldn’t have put on makeup,” Lottie pouted.

“I have makeup wipes in my bag,” Chelsea started digging in her purse.

“Oh, god, no. I don’t want anyone seeing me without makeup,” she shook her head.

Chelsea glanced at Elena, one brow cocked. She had to stifle a laugh as they approached the bonfire.

She didn’t recognize anyone standing around the fire. She scanned everyone’s faces two times over, trying to find the sunkissed skin, the face peppered with freckles, but to no avail.

“I can’t find him either,” Chelsea murmured in Elena’s ear, before taking a swig of the moscato.

“Maybe he’s just late,” she shrugged, trying to play it off casually despite the jolt of electricity in her joints, making her want to shake her limbs to get her energy out.

“I don’t recognize too many people here from the bar,” Hope frowned, stepping up next to them to survey the group.

“Yeah, those people are probably at The Thirsty Jerk’s again. A lot of them are regulars,” Chelsea said. 

“Maybe these are the broke students,” Lottie shrugged.

“We’ll fit right in,” Elena joked.

Hope walked up to the foldable chairs scattered around the fire, plopping into an open one. “I’m not drinking or swimming, so I’ll be here chilling.”

“I’ll keep you company. I’m not getting in the water either,” Lottie said, exhaling loudly as she dropped into the chair, low to the ground.

“Well, I’m gonna go mingle, and you’re welcome to join me, El,” Chelsea winked, scurrying away, Elena on her heels.

“Are you gonna get in the water?” She yelled over the music as they walked up to the speaker, propped up against a plastic cooler, filled to the brim with cheap beer.

“Yeah, maybe, if I feel like it after I drink some more.”

She grabbed a can, popping the top, letting the shitty, fizzy wheat water run down her throat, making her shudder.

_ God, this tastes like absolute shit. I should’ve drank more of the moscato _ , she thought, watching Chelsea happily drink the rest of the bottle’s contents.

“El!”

She looked around the beach, trying to find the source of her name.

“Over here!”

When she found the source of the noise, her mind went blank, the nasty taste a distant thought. A soaking wet, shirtless Bobby jogged his way over to her, his freckled chest streaked with water, the saturated light from the fire reflecting off of his skin. She couldn’t look away, even as he smirked at her, glancing down to his own body.

“You made it,” he panted, smiling.

“Uh, yeah, of course. I brought my friends,” she said, awkwardly, gesturing next to her. When he looked confused, she turned, searching for Chelsea, but she was already across the beach, attempting to shotgun a beer with a group of people.

“Oh, Chels,” she murmured, already mentally preparing to limit herself so she could help carry her to the car.

“That was your friend with you last night, right?” He asked between breaths.

“Yeah, Chelsea – she’s my roommate.”

“Nice, nice. What about your other friends?”   
  
“My other roommates, Hope and Lottie,” she said, pointing to their seated figures. “Hope’s got the braids and Lottie has the purple tips.”

“It’s cool you get along with your roommates. You live off campus?” He ran a hand through his locs, droplets spraying on her.

“Yeah, in an apartment. You?” She said, swiping her hand across her face.

“I live on campus. It was the cheaper option,” he shrugged. “My roommate’s here, too. He’s over there.” He pointed over her shoulder to the group that was closer to the boardwalk itself, huddling nearby the wood pillars buried in the sand.

“Nice,” she said, nodding. She had no idea what to say. She scratched the side of her arm, chewing the inside of her lip.

“You wanna meet him? He’s a cool guy,” he jerked his thumb towards the silhouettes of the small group.

Her pulse jumped involuntarily, and she cursed herself for it. She was nervous – Chelsea was her social crutch, and now she had to fend for herself. She’d left her lipstick at home, but thankfully she had her mom’s parting words as the boost of confidence she needed.

“Oh, yeah, sure,” she agreed, trying to sound nonchalant and failing. Bobby noticed.

“You don’t sound so sure, El,” he laughed. “We don’t have to talk to anyone if you don’t want to. I’ve got stand up routines on standby, so I think I can keep you entertained.”

She shook her head, trying to hold back a smile. “No, I need to be social. Who knows if any of these people are gonna be in my classes, right?”

He raised a brow. “Oh… so you’re here to find study buddies. Looks like you’re already off to a bad start,” he gestured to the can in her hand.

“You know what I mean!” She playfully shoved his chest with her free hand, and he trapped it with his own, curling his fingers around her palm. He lowered her hand, entangling their fingers. She could’ve pulled away, but she couldn’t deny his calming presence, his touch reassuring.

“Yeah, I’m teasing. If you feel awkward at all just let me know, and we’ll bail,” he said, gently tugging her hand as they walked towards the pillars.

She watched as the waves crashed against the shore, pulling back into the ocean, combing the sand til it was smooth. 

“I don’t think I’ll ever get over how gorgeous beaches are,” she sighed, eyes fixed on the rippling water reflecting the cool moonlight.

“Yeah, Haverlow Beach is pretty special, not gonna lie. It’s my favorite one around here.”

“You’re lucky. I never had a place like this to hang around,” she sighed, still staring past him at the waves.

“Well, I can show you around town sometime and bring you to my favorite spots, if you’d like,” he said, leaning over to snatch her beer, tipping it back.

“Hey!” She frowned.

He finished it in a couple gulps, then crushed it against his forehead, slipping the debris in his swim suit’s pocket.

“You weren’t gonna drink it. You hate that brand, I can tell,” he grinned, squeezing her hand tighter.

“Okay, you’re right, but you could’ve asked,” she grumbled.

“Next time I’ll get you drinks you actually like so I won’t have to finish them for you,” he chuckled raspily. “You didn’t answer me before.”

“Was there a question?” She glanced over at him, lips pursed.

“I pretty much asked you on a second date and you didn’t even realize it. Gotta step up my flirting game, huh?”

“Five minutes into this date and you’re already planning the next,” she laughed, glad that they were far enough away from the fiery light of the bonfire so he couldn’t see her warming cheeks.

“I told you before, the more I get to know you, the more I like you. So do you want me to show you around town?”

“What, like right now? My friends are here –”

“Nah, maybe before school starts.”

She cocked her head to the side. “You’re not giving a girl that much warning.”

“Might as well get a memorable date in before syllabus week, amirite?” He let go of her hand and placed his palm on the small of her back as they approached the group. “Think about it,” he mumbled in her ear. She tried holding in her excitement as goosebumps prickled across her arms.

“Bobby! Hey!” A voice called from the circle, and a form came rushing towards Bobby, grabbing his hand and clasping him on the shoulder.

“Elena, this is Rocco, my roommate. Rocco, this is Elena, the girl I beat at pool –”

“Because you used the corner table,” Rocco laughed, holding his hand out to her. She took it, surprised at how smooth his hands were compared to his gruff appearance.

“Wow, exposing me immediately,” he shook his head in mock disappointment. “Good thing I have till midterms to change rooms.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Elena smiled, laughing through her words at Bobby’s joke.

“Nice to meet you, too. Wanna smoke?” Rocco held up his hand, three blunts sandwiched between his fingers like Wolverine’s claws.

“Sure,” she nodded. She hadn’t smoked since the middle of summer; it wasn’t a bad memory or anything, she would just prefer to stay sober while hiking.

“I can give you these pre-rolled blunts for twenty bucks,” he waved his hand around, raising his brows.

“Man, are you really gonna try to make her pay for weed in front of me?” Bobby’s nose crinkled in confusion.

“Nah, it’s okay. My mom gave me twenty bucks before she left… for ‘a cab’. Like DD’s don’t exist,” she chuckled, digging into the back pocket of her shorts, pulling out the folded bill. “Throw in that lighter and we have a deal.”

He tossed the translucent hot pink lighter to her, and handed her the blunts. “You wanna smoke my special stash? It’s pretty much a roach now, but you could probably get a taste –”

“We’re good. Thanks for the blunts, man,” Bobby said, a bit curtly, and gently steered her away from him.

“Thanks, Rocco!” She called over her shoulder.

She stole a glance at Bobby’s face, and he didn’t look happy, but he did look gorgeous.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just upset he sold to you right in front of me,” he rolled his eyes. “You shouldn’t be paying in the first place.”

She shrugged. “I mean, I had the twenty on hand, so it’s really not a big deal. I was gonna blow it on something useless anyways. At least I’m getting blunts out of it.”

He chuckled. “Next time, I’m paying.”

She screwed her lips to the side, trying to hide her smile. Next time.

“You wanna go to my favorite spot on the boardwalk?”

“Isn’t it closed?”

“Not to me, it isn’t,” he grinned, grabbing her hand and taking off, dragging her behind him.

They ran underneath the structure, weaving through the pillars until they popped out on the other side in front of a set of wooden stairs. He led her down the large wooden path of the raised boardwalk, all the way to the edge, stopping at the last booth, relatively smaller and dingier than the other ones. All of the businesses’ shutters were closed, not a person in sight.

She was just able to make out the unlit sign, which read “The Snack Shack”, before Bobby tugged her around the corner to the back. He pulled his keys out, fiddling with the lock.

“Whoa, what are you doing?”

“Showing you my favorite spot, duh,” he teased, pushing the side door open, flicking on the light.

The kitchen lit up, and she squinted to adjust, throwing a hand over her eyes.

“You want something, El?” He walked across the small kitchen to the steel fryers, uncovering them.

“Bobby, I’m not stealing food.”

“It’s not stealing if the owner is my cousin,” he shrugged, flicking on the deep fryer.

“It’s double stealing if it’s from family,” she said as he grabbed a clear condiment bottle filled with a beige substance.

“Nah, I pick up shifts here when he needs me. Which is usually when he’s hungover… or when he’s fighting with his girlfriend,” he squirted the bottle into one of the baskets in the fryer, swirling his hand in circles and zigzags. “Grab whatever you want.”

“I’d like a drink,” she said, eyeing the refrigerator.

“Yeah, go ahead. There’s some alcoholic drinks, too, so knock yourself out.”

She grabbed two Gatorades, while Bobby handled the fryers. When he was done, he flipped the golden brown mass onto a disposable bowl, checkered red and white. He flipped a shaker onto the mountain of fried dough, like a sweet snow cap.

“Follow me,” he smiled, pulling down a ladder from the emergency exit. He climbed up with one hand, balancing the food on the other. He popped it open, climbing onto the roof. “Here, toss the drinks up.”

“One of these is for you,” she underhanded the damp bottles to him.

“Awe, what a sweetheart,” he snatched them, then offered his free hand. “C’mon, I’ve got you.”   
  
Once she was safely on the roof, she took a second to look around. “The roofs are the highest point on the beach, so it’s my favorite place to go when I’m here.”

She had a full, panoramic view of the midnight ocean, the waves glimmering for miles. And when she raised her gaze, she was just as enamored by the sky, able to make out hundreds of stars and craters on the moon itself.

“Wow,” she breathed. “It’s gorgeous.”

“Yeah, you are.”

When she looked at him with a wild expression, he grinned. “Sike! I’m not  _ that _ cheesy. You are beautiful, though.”   
  
He scooted towards the edge of the roof, and she followed suit, still reeling from his comment, dangling their legs over the edge. “Funnel cake?”   
  
“Is that what it’s called? It’s been so long since I’ve had deep fried fair food like this.” She tore off a piece, and popped it into her mouth, licking the powdered sugar off her fingers. “You outdid yourself.”

“Y’know, I kinda love working here because I’ve tried deep frying pretty much everything. And I mean  _ everything _ ,” he said through a mouthful of cake. “It’s harder than you think.”

“Yeah I can imagine. So you work here and at The Thirsty Jerk’s?” She took a gulp of the Gatorade.

“Nah, I just pick up shifts here. Funny story, last night was my first performance with that group.”

“Seriously?” She quirked a brow at him.

“Yeah, I moved in a couple days ago, went to the bar with Rocco my first night here, and saw a want ad on the corkboard next to the urinals in the bathroom. The rest is history,” he laughed, gesturing his arms out.

“That’s crazy to me. You had a lot of chemistry with them like you’d been together for years,” she shook her head.

“I was in the same band for years but we took a ‘hiatus’–” he air quoted the words “– when half of us left for college.”

“What, you don’t think you’ll get back together?”

“I think pretty much all of them were ready to move on, but I don’t think I can let it go,” he smiled weakly, and Elena felt a rush of guilt. He was already homesick.

“So you’re in an emo phase right now?” She teased, trying to lighten the conversation.

“Actually, it’s called a punk phase. Get it right, dingus. And I’m  _ slowly _ transitioning out of it. Warped Tour has a hold on me,” he laughed.

“Anyways, enough about me. You ready to smoke, El?”

––––


	7. Astronomy 107

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Why are you here?”
> 
> A snort ripped from his nose, and he passed her the blunt. “Jesus, and you said I was the forward one.”
> 
> “No, I didn’t mean it like that –”
> 
> “Nah, I know. I’m just kidding,” he crossed his arms behind his head, his gaze trained on the sky. She wondered if he was thinking about the universe, too. “Pretty much my whole family went here. I got an alumni scholarship that paid a huge chunk of it off… so yeah.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i love bobby and elena so much !!!! they're my whole heart. i love writing their banter, bc bobby's so warm and inviting that he's pulling her out of her comfort zone :') i'm obsessed with my own mc, as i should be ! anyways, thank you all so much for reading so far !! i promise we're getting closer to when school starts, and it's gonna be great !!! (spoiler yeah there's gonna be one last party after this but please don't clock out!!! at least from my experience there were SO many parties the week before classes started/the first week of class so it's on brand)
> 
> also just a warning they actually smoke in this chapter !!

Bobby’s thumb flicked the lighter repeatedly until he got a consistent flame, moving slowly from left to right over the edge of the blunt. His cheeks hollowed out as he sucked in, the tip of it an auburn ember. He pulled it out of his mouth and sucked in an even deeper breath, holding it.

When he blew out the thick cloud of smoke, he passed it to her, coughing under his breath. “Whew. Your turn.”

She followed suit, the thick smoke coating the inside of her lungs, bitter and heavy. She exhaled, the shroud smoke enveloping her view of the sealine.

“It’s weird how we haven’t even gotten the basic formalities out of the way,” Elena said finally, passing it back to him. She was still buzzed – her guard was lowering by the minute.

He grabbed the blunt, their fingers brushing. “What, like last names and star signs and shit like that?”

She shrugged. “Yeah. You know my last name.”

“Mine’s McKenzie. A first name kind of last name. I don’t like it,” he said, inhaling deeply, his chest stretching with effort, and it took everything in her to keep her eyes on his face.

“I like it. It rolls off the tongue.”

“So does Elena Verano,” he spoke through the smoke, his voice muffled. He coughed a couple times. “Like I said, you have a movie star name.”

“Well, thank you,” she said, swinging her feet, trying to focus on something other than his pointed compliments. “So… what’s your major?”

_ God I’m horrible at this _ , she berated herself. It was painfully obvious that she was bad at conversing with people she barely knew.

“I don’t know yet,” he shrugged, taking a piece of funnel cake. “I’ll figure it out. You?”

“I don’t know, either.”

He raised a brow. “Seriously? You give off the vibes that you know exactly what you want at all times.”   
  
A laugh ripped from her, morphing into a hacking fit. “That couldn’t be further from the truth. I’m an indecisive mess.”

“Well you present yourself like you’ve got your shit together.”

“Good to know,” she coughed, still laughing.

A silence blanketed the air between them as they smoked and munched on the funnel cake. The music from the speakers floated over to them, the new bass-heavy song loud enough that they had to raise their voices to be heard over it, but low enough that it was soothing background music while they finished off the first blunt.

“What brought you down here?” He said, breaking it.

She laid on her back, folding her arms behind her head, staring above at the skyline littered with stars. “I needed a change.”

“Needed? Not wanted?”

She tried not to squirm under his knowing gaze. “I… guess a little bit of both, actually.”   
  
“You’re from up North,” he said, like a statement rather than a question.

“Yeah. I lived right on the outskirts of a big city, and I wanted something different. I didn’t wanna chance running into someone I knew in high school.”

“You’re smarter than me,” he grinned toothily. “I live like an hour away from here.”

“Oh, wow,” she raised her brows.

“You’re like eight hours away or something, huh?–”

“Eighteen,” she emphasized the last syllable.

“Holy shit, that’s a long drive.” He got to work lighting the next blunt.

“Yeah, I’m definitely flying back for break. I’m kind of scared to make the drive back by myself.”

“Why’d you choose South Bay though?” He asked, popping the tip between his lips, puffing until his lungs were full.

“I fell in love when I visited,” she shrugged, eyes flitting between stars as she tried picking out constellations. When he exhaled, she watched the smoke disperse and float towards the water. “I didn’t wanna go anywhere else.”

“I don’t blame you. It  _ is _ pretty charming.”

“And I got a full ride.”

“Damn, El, you should flex that more often. Seriously. That’s a huge accomplishment,” he said, leaning back, their combined weights making the tin roof creak.

“Why are you here?”

A snort ripped from his nose, and he passed her the blunt. “Jesus, and you said I was the forward one.”

“No, I didn’t mean it like that –”

“Nah, I know. I’m just kidding,” he crossed his arms behind his head, his gaze trained on the sky. She wondered if he was thinking about the universe, too. “Pretty much my whole family went here. I got an alumni scholarship that paid a huge chunk of it off… so yeah.”

He sounded like he was a little uncomfortable with the attention. She took a hit because she couldn’t come up with a response.

She sat up a little too quickly, and her head spun. The heaviness of her head mixed with the lightness of her body made for a paradox of a sensation. “I’ve never been cross-faded before. This is… weird.”

“You wanna slow down?” He reached out for the blunt.

She placed it between her lips again. “No, I’m good.”

“If you say so. We’ve got another blunt and three-quarters to go, so don’t keep pushing yourself if you can’t handle it.

She took a deep drag, the smoke coating her lungs once more. “I can handle it.”

\----

“You ever think about how waves are caused by the moon’s gravitational pull?” Elena asked, blinking heavily.

“I didn’t peg you as the cliche philosophical smoker type,” Bobby coughed.

The funnel cake was gone, the disposable bowl nearly licked clean. Bobby had jumped down to grab a bag of potato chips for them to snack on, too. The party below had grown, nearly doubling in size, but they hadn’t moved from their spots – partially because she felt like someone had laid cinder blocks on her limbs, but mostly due to how reluctant they were to part ways.

“No, but seriously. Think about it. Like, get this,” she turned over on her side, propping her head on her hand, using her other hand to gesture as she talked. “People couldn’t surf if there wasn’t a moon. It’d just be like, flat salt water. Just a big, salty bath.”

Bobby howled, his raspy cackle cutting through the music. She was sure they could hear him down there.

He clutched at his sides, bending his knees towards his chest like a poorly executed crunch. “Elena, stop. You can’t say shit like that when I don’t know if I’m gonna remember it tomorrow.”

His laugh was infectious, and she giggled too, trying to stay on topic, but it was slipping away from her. “You’re telling me you never thought about it?”

After he calmed down, he mirrored her position, facing her. “Yeah, I definitely have.”   


She rotated her hand. “Go on.”

“Well, I think it’s kind of crazy to think about something so far away, like thousands and thousands of miles away, is like trapped in Earth’s orbit and it can’t get out,” he used his pointer finger to draw a large circle. “But it can’t be a part of the Earth, either, right? So it has one job. Telling us when it’s night, and making the water move. Really important jobs, but don’t you wish the moon could just, like, move on? Do it’s own thing? Be its own planet?”

“It can’t be a planet because it’s a moon, but it should at least have its own purpose,” she said.

“I guess its purpose is to make beaches better,” he shrugged. “Still sad though.”

“Yeah, it’s sad when you put it that way,” she frowned, placing the short roach between her lips and taking one last puff.

“It’s kind of like when people, like, think they can’t be together because they’re not compatible, but they still gravitate towards each other, you know?”

Through her haze, she felt her heart pang at his words. “That’s even more sad, Bobby.”

He shrugged. “You asked.”

“You should write a song about the moon,” she nodded, grinding the roach against the tin roof.

“I don’t usually songwrite, but I’ll try. For you,” he added.

“God, if you tried starting it tonight, none of it would make sense,” she shook her head, smiling.

“Y’know one thing I haven’t done tonight, that doesn’t make sense?” He asked, sitting up.

When she quirked a brow at him, he answered. “Ask for your phone number.”

“Oh yeah,” she said, and dug into her back pocket for her phone. “Here. My passcode is 1234.”

“Wow. Lazy.”

“Yeah, I know,” she smiled.

He tapped away for a couple of seconds, then handed it back to her. “Now I can kick your ass on virtual 8-ball, too.”

She sat up, lightly shoving his arm. “Oh, fuck off.”

He laid his hand on top of hers, stroking her skin with his thumb. Caged butterflies begged to be set free in her abdomen, the fluttering dominating her other senses.

“I don’t think you want me to do that,” he teased, eyes flitting to her lips.

Her breath hitched in her throat when he brought her hand to his puckered lips, pressing a soft kiss on her knuckles, smiling against her skin.

“What a charmer,” she giggled nervously.

“Call me Lucky, cause I be Charming.”

Her nervous laugh transitioned into a hearty one, and she shook her head. “Good cereal, bad pick up line.”

He grinned. “Made you laugh, though. Mission accomplished.”

A quick zap to the ass made her yelp. She pulled her phone out of her pocket again, checking the display.

“Hey.”

“Hey, El,” Hope shouted over the music. “Chelsea is done for the night.”

“Again?” She winced. Someone was gonna have to talk to her about that.

“Yeah. We’re about to head out.”

“Um,” she hesitated, glancing at Bobby, whose lazy form was laid back on his elbows, clacking his tongue ring between his teeth absentmindedly. “Give me five minutes.”

“What? I can’t hear you.”

“I’ll text you,” she said, voice raised. She hung up and immediately typed a quick text to their groupchat.

“You gotta head out again?” He unlatched the exit door, grabbing their trash.

“Yeah. Roommate doesn’t know her limits yet,” she shrugged, sliding to the opening, before twisting her body so she could get her footing. Time seemed to crawl by as she maneuvered down the ladder; she didn’t want to let on that she was way too fucked up. She plopped into the center of the kitchen once again, the smell of powdered sugar lingering in the air.

“Poor Rocco,” he said from overhead. She glanced up, startled, met with his illuminated face staring down at her mischievously, locs swinging to frame his face. “I’m that roommate.”

Bobby quickly closed up shop, offering to walk her down to Hope’s car, despite the party being at its peak.

They chatted about nothing in particular, still sizing each other up, figuring out where they stood. There was no doubt that Elena liked him, but the gut feeling she got with every man was something she couldn’t repress, even for someone as appealing as Bobby.

She was already a thousand miles away from her home, in a town where no one knew her name. There were no expectations. It was a fresh start. And she wasn’t gonna let heartbreak tarnish her freshman experience. Jumping in headfirst into the shark infested waters that was the college dating pool was appealing to some, but not Elena.

But… it wouldn’t stop her from fooling around a little bit.

He shuffled through the sand next to her, his shoulders hunched lazily, hands tucked into his pockets. Bobby didn’t have a care in the world – a stark difference between Elena’s tightly wound personality, and her borderline neurotic outlook on life.

They trudged across the empty street to the small parking lot, squinting when Hope flickered her headlights at them.

“Uh, well. This is me.”

He laughed once, kicking the ground, hands still firmly in his pockets. “Well, you have my number. You should hit me up so I can show you around. If you want.”

“I definitely will,” she heard herself say, blurting it without thinking.

A grin stretched across his face, almost bashful. “I’ll turn my ringer on just for you.”

“Wow, I’m flattered,” she rolled her eyes in mock annoyance.

He stepped forward, nearly closing the gap between them, and took his hand from his pocket, raising it towards her face.

“Elena! Oh my god, is that Bobby?! Hi, punk boy!”

A shrill voice cut through the moment, and Bobby’s hand retracted. Elena turned to the car, horrified, but trying to play it cool. Chelsea hung out of the window of the back seat, waving vigorously at them.

“You don’t know me but I’m Chelsea, Elena’s best – hey!” She disappeared in the car, the window quickly rolling up after her.

Over the glare of the headlights, Elena could see Hope’s apologetic expression, and the back of Lottie’s head, since she was trying (and failing) to restrain Chelsea from the passenger’s seat.

“Um, sorry about that.” What else could she say after that?

He laughed, his eyes crinkling with amusement. “Don’t apologize. I’d love to properly meet Chelsea when she’s sober, though.”

“I might be able to pencil you in,” she mirrored his grin. Their back and forth was so easy; wit didn’t come naturally to her, so the effortlessness of their teasing brought on a confidence she didn’t know she had.

He chuckled, but his eyes were sincere. “Make it home safe, okay?”

“I will.”

Bobby reached a hand out to her face again, more cautiously than last time, hesitating. When his palm finally met the skin of her cheek, cupping her face softly, the butterflies returned, rattling the cage.

He leaned in, and she closed her eyes, focusing all her energy on not preemptively puckering her lips like a dweeb. When she felt his lips press gently on her other cheek, she cracked an eye open.

He pulled back, a smirk tugging at his lips. “You expected a goodnight kiss on the lips, huh?”

“No – I mean, well –” her cheeks flushed.

“Nah, I’m just teasing. But maybe it’s not the most romantic move for our first kiss to be in front of your roommates, right?”

She glanced back at the car, watching it rock from left to right because Chelsea was excitedly bouncing in the backseat, probably from the kiss. “No, you’re definitely right.”

“You sound disappointed.”

“A little bit,” she admitted, crossing her arms across her bare torso.

“Next time,” he said simply, eliciting a soft shiver of anticipation from her.

She closed the distance between her and the car, turning back to wave.

“Goodnight, El.” He turned, shuffling back towards the beach.

“Night,” she breathed, taking a moment to run her gaze across the muscles of his back.

\----


	8. Intro to Greek 108

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elena could generally tell which letters meant what, but it didn’t mean much to her. However, she could tell based on how many people were lined up outside of the door, waiting to get in, which letters held more weight socially.
> 
> They passed the houses, the pulsating music growing louder with each step, each house larger than the last, walking towards the mansion at the end of the street.
> 
> Alpha Mu was clearly the most popular fraternity on campus, as well as the richest, because the line to get in was absurd – and the three story design said enough about their status.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi!!! long time no post LMAO - sorry i've been so bad about uploading consistently! i tried keeping to a schedule and that lasted like almost 2 months SKJDFKDS im gonna try to upload every couple of weeks and possibly double chapters so i can make up for lost time, but don't hold me to it! KSDJKFSDKJ
> 
> anyways, im introducing some new characters next chapter so get ready !!! they're starting school soon !!! i promise we're getting there - thank you SO MUCH if you've read thus far and if you enjoy it! again, im sorry for the inconsistency, but i hope you enjoy it regardless !!! <3

“You still haven’t called him?!” Chelsea gasped, eyes wide. “Tell me you’re lying. Oh my god, El, why?”

She shrugged nonchalantly, keeping her gaze on the wall of cereal boxes to her right. “I don’t know. I got caught up.” The chill facade clearly wasn’t working, because Chelsea kept pushing.

“That’s not an excuse. We’ve had, like,  _ one _ day where we actually prepped for school.”

“One day for  _ you _ , maybe.”

“What, are you trying to get ahead on the reading or something?” Chelsea rolled her eyes, grabbing a box of sugary cereal loaded with marshmallows, tossing them into the basket.

She stayed quiet, sucking her lips in, reaching up to grab a granola-based cereal.

“You should be worrying about this cute bass player before school starts,” she said, stepping onto the front of the basket as Elena pushed it forward towards the end of the aisle. “You clearly had a great time –”

“So did you,” Lottie teased from behind them, dumping her armful of food into the basket.

“Hey,” Chelsea frowned, hopping off the cart, stomping just loud enough that Lottie quirked a brow at her. “I said I was sorry!”

“She’s just joking, Chels. You’ve got time to figure out how to handle your liquor,” Elena said, patting her back.

“And you have time to catch up on reading… nerd,” Chelsea grinned.

“You say that like you’re not pre-med,” she quipped back, a smile spreading across her own features.

“Well, helping people is sexy, because selflessness.” She shrugged innocently. “So by default I’m, like, a hot nerd.”

She was secretly thankful for the conversation change. Truth be told, Elena didn’t have a good reason to ghost him, if she could even call it that.

In the days after the party at the Haverlow Boardwalk, her stomach was in knots. She was dreading the conversation with her roommates when they brought it up.

Bobby had been the welcome party she needed. But was he just a brief encounter in the grand scheme of it all? Or was it more than that?

She couldn’t figure it out, so she avoided it instead.

“Don’t think you’re getting out texting him back, El,” Chelsea said, bumping her hip against Elena’s.

They turned onto the next aisle, meeting up with Hope, who had been debating which brand of kale chips she wanted.

“I know,” she shrugged, gripping the handle of the shopping cart tighter.

A phone chimed out from one of the purses stacked on top of each other in the buggy.

“Isn’t mine,” Lottie said, patting her pocket.

Chelsea felt around the top of the purses, locating the source of the vibrating. “It’s yours, El.”

“It’s probably my mom or something,” she said, picking her phone out of the stack, answering it. “Hello?”   
  
“Hey, is this Elena?”

“Yeah, this is her,” Elena furrowed her brows, crossing her arms. Hope walked over, tossing her kale chips into the basket, brow raised.

“Wow, that’s awesome! I was convinced you gave me a fake number back at the bar to get me off your tail,” a familiar gruff voice joked awkwardly. “This is Rahim.”

Her roommates turned at the sound of Elena sucking in a sharp breath, confused at the look in her eyes.

“Who is it?” Chelsea mouthed, stepping towards her.

“Oh, hi Rahim,” she trilled, her voice shaking. So much for sounding friendly. She sounded like a panicked child who just got caught in the act.

“What’s up?” She continued, voice cracking so that “up” sounded like a multi-syllable word. Lottie and Hope rushed over.

“Well, uh, there’s this fraternity, Alpha Mu, that’s trying to get an early bid on me before rush starts,” he started.

“I don’t really know what that means, but keep going,” she said, watching her friend’s concerned faces.

“Oh, they want me in their fraternity but they’re trying to get me before other fraternities do. Student athlete perks,” he laughed, still sounding a bit nervous.

“That’s great, Rahim,” she answered, jaw opening and closing as she shook her head. “I don’t know what to say,” she mouthed at them. Chelsea squished her face up against Elena’s, trying to listen in.

“So, they’re having a house party this weekend – like a back to school bash or something. I thought… you know, if you weren’t busy…”

Chelsea pulled back, nodding vigorously. “Yes!” she whispered.

“Can I bring my friends?”

“Yeah, bring as many people as you want. The more pretty girls the better. Wait, not that I don’t think you’re the prettiest. I just mean –”

“You’re blowing it man,” a distant voice called, cutting him off.

“Uh, you mind if I mute you for a second?” Rahim asked, a little annoyed.

“Yeah, sure –”

“Gary, what the fuck was that? I told you I was on the phone with the girl from the bar and you deliberately humiliate me like that –”

Elena tuned him out, pulling the phone away from her face, muting herself as well. Who doesn’t know how to mute a phone?

“Alpha Mu party this weekend?” Chelsea asked excitedly, jumping on the back of the cart, leaning forward till her stomach nearly crushed the bags of chips in the baby carrier part of the buggy.

“Ooh, a fraternity party? Count me in,” Hope grinned.

“Lottie?”

“I’m in unless I go visit K this weekend,” she shrugged.

Elena brought the phone back to her ear, catching the tail end of the argument.

“Yeah, next time you have a girl on the phone I’ll make sure to screw with your head,” Rahim scoffed, huffing.

“Elena? You still there?”

“Yep, I’m here. We’re in.”

“Great! I’ll text you the details. Uh, talk to you soon, El. Love you –” the line went completely silent, the soft static of the phone the only sound between them.

“Um… I’ll talk to you later. Bye, Rahim,” she locked her screen, blowing out a stream of air. “Well he just accidentally told me he loved me.”

The group cackled, while Elena shook her head, tossing her phone back in her purse.

“How is a guy that sexy so bad at flirting?” Hope scrunched her nose, still laughing.

“Poor dude. At least we got a party invite out of it,” Lottie said, reaching into a bag, popping a grape off its stem, before wiping it and tossing it into her mouth.

“Oh my god let’s get out of here now! I need to pick an outfit, like, stat,” Chelsea hopped off of the cart, briskly walking towards the front of the grocery store.

\----

“Baby pink or hot pink?” Chelsea held a bodycon dress in front of her by its hanger, then the cocktail dress in her other hand in front of that, switching back and forth between them, her brows furrowed.

“Baby pink, definitely,” Elena answered, perched on the edge of Chelsea’s bed.

Chelsea turned on her heels, lips set in a firm line. “What’s wrong?”

“Uh…” She trailed off, shifting uncomfortably. She hadn’t given any indication that anything was wrong, or at least… she didn’t think she had.

“Don’t even lie to me! You get this, like, look in your eye when you’re sad. And I can tell you’re down about something,” Chelsea put a hand on her hip, trying her hardest to look stern, but failing since she had on a thick green clay mask that wouldn’t allow her to move her eyebrows.

“I don’t know what to do about Bobby,” she shrugged, crossing her arms firmly across her chest.

“What do you mean, El? It’s easy – you call him, you go on a date, you become official, all that jazz!” She draped the dresses over the back of her desk chair, walking across the room to sit on the edge of the bed.

“I think I’m jumping into things too early, Chels. I mean, I just moved in a week ago and I’m already talking about trying to commit to someone,” she shook her head, standing to pace around the room.

“I haven’t even started school, or seen what my coursework is like, or gotten a job. I’m just being reckless and I need to be thorough about this,” she paced left and right on the soft fur carpet, chewing at the ends of her nails.

“Elena,” Chelsea said softly, like a command.

When Elena turned to look at her, she continued. “You don’t have to commit to anybody right now, if you don’t want to. But I think I know you pretty well by now, and if you let him slip through your fingers… you’re gonna regret it.”

She sighed, chewing the inside of her lip. “I’m not like… afraid of commitment. This is just so new to me.”

“You mean having options?” Chelsea grinned, the clay mask wrinkling around her smile lines.

“Stop,” she laughed, rolling her eyes. “Things are just moving a little too fast for me, I think.”

Chelsea nodded. “Completely understandable, El. But you have to, like, at least  _ try _ to give him a chance.”

She stood up from the bed, picking up Chelsea’s dress options from the chair. “Enough about that. Baby pink or nothing.”

“That was my first choice!” She grinned, grabbing the dress from Elena and twirling around in a circle. “Alpha Mu isn’t ready for us.”

––––

“Chelsea! Chelsea. Watch out for the curb –” Hope warned, voice strained, body rigid in the passenger seat.

Chelsea rolled over the curb as they turned, shaking everyone in their seats. “Oops! Sorry, didn’t see it.”

“Is that why you ran the stop light earlier too?” Lottie mumbled, acrylics digging into her legs.

“We’re almost there. Next street on the left,” Elena said, reading off her maps, trying to break up the tense silence in the car that Chelsea was blissfully ignorant to.

“Oh yeah, it’s like right on the edge of campus. It’s like a five minute drive from the private portion of Haverlow Beach, too. God, the yacht parties the frats have,” Chelsea mused, jerking the wheel as she gestured to talk.

“Yeah, you can tell us about it when we get there,” Hope nodded, looking nauseated.

A minute of shaky driving later, they pulled into the parking lot down the street from the fraternity houses.

They hopped out of the car – which was parked so crookedly that it took up two parking spots – and headed towards the house. The sun was beginning to set, golden hour in full effect. The saturated rays peeked over the houses, casting large shadows onto the lawns.

There were a handful of neighboring fraternity houses placed next to each other, each two story house different in design, huge Greek letters on display on the front, right above the door.

Elena could generally tell which letters meant what, but it didn’t mean much to her. However, she could tell based on how many people were lined up outside of the door, waiting to get in, which letters held more weight socially.

They passed the houses, the pulsating music growing louder with each step, each house larger than the last, walking towards the mansion at the end of the street.

Alpha Mu was clearly the most popular fraternity on campus, as well as the richest, because the line to get in was absurd – and the three story design said enough about their status.

“Wow…” Hope breathed, mouth parted like she was in awe. “This is the best house on the block.”

“Oh yeah, Alpha Mu’s loaded. They recruit a lot of the student athletes, which gives them a reputation boost, or, like, they secure legacies,” Chelsea said, stopping on the sidewalk across from the house, digging in her purse to reapply her lip gloss.

“Legacies?” Lottie asked. She’d toned down her normally dark makeup, settling for a deep brown smokey eye and a bold red lip. Elena knew it’d probably be a rare occurrence, so she soaked it up, noting that she needed to compliment Lottie to reassure her that she looked stunning.

“Legacies are people who have relatives who were in the fraternity,” Hope nodded, tugging at her two piece outfit, the skirt hugging her hips flatteringly.

“Yep! They get a  _ lot _ of money from legacies and alumni,” Chelsea said, snapping her mirror shut.

“You’re just a rolodex of South Bay knowledge, huh?” Lottie grinned, slinging her arm around her shoulders. 

“We’re lucky to have you,” Elena smiled, reaching out to pat her arm.

“Guess so! Hanging around here for so long has it’s perks, I guess,” she beamed, flushing slightly at the praise.

“Did you text Rahim?” Hope asked, pointing at the house.

“Oh yeah, let me tell him we’re here,” Elena murmured, pulling out her phone to shoot him a quick text. Her phone pinged almost immediately.

“He said he’ll meet us at the door, and that we can pass everyone,” she squinted, trying to spot him at the front of the house past the line of at least thirty people.

“That won’t go over well with that line,” Lottie scoffed.

“Let’s stop worrying about it and just go!” Chelsea chirped, grabbing Elena’s and Hope’s hands, dragging them towards the door.

They got a couple dirty stares on their way up, but Chelsea just grinned at them, giving a quick greeting, totally ignoring the crowd’s grumbling.

They approached a smiling Rahim, standing right behind the security guard handing out wristbands. He looked a little nervous, despite his power stance – his legs were planted firmly, hands on his hips like he owed the place.

“They’re with me,” Rahim said, before the guard could bark at them to get to the back of the line.

“You came,” he beamed, handing out the paper wristbands to each of them.

“Yeah, of course. We had to see what Alpha Mu was all about,” she smiled politely, while struggling to put on her wristband with one hand.

“Oh, here, let me get that,” he said, gently taking her wrist and wrapping the band around it, taping it in place. His short sleeved polo did wonders for him, his muscles flexing as his nimble fingers worked around her wrist.

“Thanks,” she murmured, feeling her cheeks warm at how intimate the act was. She glanced over and caught Chelsea staring at her excitedly, eyes wide.

God, her roommates were gonna think she was flirting with Rahim again. She couldn’t help the way her body reacted when she was in close proximity to an attractive guy, no matter how awkward he was.

But he really was just that – attractive. No matter how graceless he was. She couldn’t deny that.

“No problem,” he said under his breath, glancing at her with a smouldering gaze. When he wasn’t trying to flirt, Rahim was unbearably sexy. 

“Hi, Elena’s friends,” he said, flashing a gorgeous smile at them, bright teeth practically glimmering in the low lighting.

A chorus of greetings sounded off from her roommates, all trying to be as cordial as they could with the knowledge that he was the guy who accidentally told Elena he’d loved her a few days before.

“Follow me. I’ll give you a brief tour. Show you where the drinks are and all that,” he gestured at them, stepping towards the double doors. He pushed one side open, holding it for them, nodding at each girl as she walked through.

They stepped into the massive corridor, the two sided staircase taking up a large portion of the room. The centerpiece, however, was the chandelier, which had sheets with holes tied around it, lights inside of it – how on brand. The frat guys turned it into a makeshift disco ball.

The music was so loud that Elena could barely hear herself think – the bass flooded through the huge speakers framing the main corridor, shaking the walls closest by. Through the opening leading to the next room, she could see the large living room, furniture pushed aside to the walls behind the speakers, plastic sheets draped over them (likely to keep the cheap drinks from staining the couches).

“Holy shit,” Hope enunciated both words, eyes roaming across the expensive interior.

“It’s a shame they’ve got such a great decorator when shit gets destroyed, like, every other week,” Chelsea rolled her eyes, pointing to the chandelier.

“Is that what they do with all the money?” Lottie asked, brows furrowing.

“They love to live lavishly,” Rahim shouted, gesturing at the place. “Don’t know why guys who can’t do their own laundry need a mansion, but I digress.”

Elena and her friends laughed, surprised at how laid back he was once he was inside of the fraternity house. He seemed to relax even more at the sound of their laughter.

“Follow me to the bar,” he said, the palm of his hand ghosting over Elena’s lower back, sending a shock down her spine.

“There’s a bar?” Lottie yelled excitedly, prompting a nod from Rahim.

They slid along the wall of the large room, filled nearly to the brim with people. He leaned back to grasp her hand after a man shoved between them, his hand engulfing hers. He really could be smooth when he wanted to be.

The fully stocked bar, set with a bartender, was at the back of the room next to wide glass doors that led to the backyard. The door on the other side was closed off, but she could tell it was the door to the kitchen by how basic it looked in comparison to every other intricately designed door in the house she’d seen so far.

“Just so you know, there’s a strict sealed drink rule at every party. It’s a campus wide rule to try to keep people as safe as possible,” Rahim yelled. “What do you guys want? Beer, wine coolers, maybe some individual shots? Don’t worry, they recycle them.”

They all exchanged looks – none of them expected to be impressed. On the way over, they’d discussed fraternity culture, its toxicity, and the horror stories they’d heard about frat parties. Elena couldn’t shake the anxiety, but at least Rahim was easing their worries, if just the slightest bit.

“Wine cooler for me, please,” Hope shouted, holding up a finger.

“Can I get one too?” Lottie asked.

“Me, three,” Elena added.

“And you?” He turned to Chelsea.

“Designated driver status,” she pouted, holding up her left hand to her forehead, finger and thumb looped, the rest of her fingers straight, in a lowercase “d” shape.

“That’s okay. I’m not drinking either,” Rahim answered, then turned to order the drinks.

“So, how’s everybody feeling?” Chelsea smiled, holding her hands palms up, gesturing at the house.

“This is great,” Hope grinned, nodding and surveying the crowds around them.

“This house is great,” Lottie shook her head, looking awestruck at the size of it.

“Elena?” Chelsea wiggled her brows. “I saw that look, don’t think you’re slick.”

Her cheeks heated, and she tugged at the edges of her short bodycon dress. “He’s hot, alright?”

“You can say that again,” Hope eyed the muscles of Rahim’s back, clearly defined under the material of his shirt.

“You gonna make out with him again?” Lottie grinned lazily, teasing.

“No, I mean – why would I? No –” Elena sputtered, shrugging too harshly to look casual about it.

“Oh, stop it, we’ve all got a great selection tonight, so if she wants to make out with somebody else, she can make out with somebody else,” Hope rolled her eyes at Lottie, clearly a bit annoyed.

“Not me –”

“Obviously not you, Lottie. We know you have a boyfriend,” Hope threw a hand up, growing increasingly irritated.

Lottie pouted, bright lips scrunched to the side.

“Girls, we’re supposed to be having a, like, chill, drama-free night. Chill out,” Chelsea laughed nervously, trying to lighten the mood.

Thankfully, Rahim returned with the drinks, passing out a glass bottle to each of them, keeping a water bottle for himself.

“Wanna know a secret?” When they nodded, he continued. “The bartender really isn’t a bartender. He’s the guy in the frat with the lowest GPA,” Rahim grinned, jerking his thumb towards him.

Poor guy looked uncomfortable as hell, frantically trying to hand out drink after drink.

“Sucks for him, but it’s incentive for people to try harder. I only know all this shit because one of the guys spilled a ton of inside information to me,” he shrugged. “Crazy, right?”

“Here, follow me. I’ll show you to the other main area,” he said, turning towards the glass doors, walking through the one that was slid open.

The back “patio” – if you could even call it that – was massive. The paved area was for the most part plain, but the rest of the yard had so much to offer. Right on the edge of it was an inground pool, framed with lounge chairs, a few scattered couples already making out.

There was a stage in the back corner in the grassy area, relatively small, but large enough to have a full turntable, DJ, and crowd. Elena was half expecting to see Bobby, but she quickly buried the thought, trying not to fixate on the punk boy who’d been clouding her thoughts for the past week.

In a more secluded corner, there was a firepit surrounded with chairs, the flames illuminating the faces of those crowded around it as well as the backs of people who were standing in small groups scattered nearby.

“Hey, Rahim!” A voice called from over the music.

“Gary! Hey!” He waved, and then turned to the group of girls, a smile on his face. “Do you wanna meet my roommate? He’s great.”

Elena glanced at her roommates, and they all looked pretty at ease with Rahim, so they silently agreed. “Yeah, sure, show us the way.”

They approached the small group, watching as Gary and Rahim clapped each other on the back. “Gary, this is my friend Elena and her friends…”

“I’m Hope,” she waved, grinning confidently.

“Lottie,” she soluted nonchalantly.

“And I’m Chelsea!” She said enthusiastically, giving a little wave of her fingers and a wink.

“Nice to meet you, ladies. You’re all looking gorgeous tonight. This your first Alpha Mu party?” Gary asked, eyes trailing over each of the girls appraisingly.

“Yeah, it’s our first,” Elena gestured to themselves.

“Not mine,” Chelsea shrugged coyly. The girls’ mouths popped open, and Hope nudged her shoulder.

“You have to tell us about that later,” Hope laughed, taking a sip of her wine cooler.

“Wow. Well, it’s our first, too,” Gary said, gesturing to the group of guys around him, including Rahim.

A short silence overtook the group as they sized each other up, the bass of the song thankfully filling the silence so it wasn’t too awkward.

“So… what’s your majors?” Gary asked finally. “I’m engineering. Not sure if it’ll work out yet, since I’m not too great at math.”

That earned a laugh from the group, easing the tension of the new acquaintances just enough so that they all seemed to visibly relax.

“Business,” Rahim said simply, taking a sip of his water.

“Oh, cool, I enrolled in marketing but I might switch to business… maybe communications. Still figuring it out,” Hope smiled, hand casually slung on her hip.

“Social work for now,” Lottie said, crossing her arms.

“That’s gonna be hard but rewarding,” Rahim encouraged, a suave smile blooming on his features. Goddamn. There he went again, making Elena swoon when she knew she didn’t really like him like that.

“Yeah, I just wanna help people,” Lottie shrugged, a soft blush darkening her cheeks at the attention.

“Pre-med,” Chelsea said quickly, then looked to Elena to answer.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, pre-med? You’re really going for it, aren’t you?” Gary said, seemingly impressed.

“Like Lottie said, I just wanna help people. It’s not, like, a big deal or anything,” Chelsea laughed, tucking a loose curl behind her ear.

“It’s definitely a big deal. Don’t downplay how great that is – both of you,” Rahim encouraged, gesturing at them with the hand holding a beer.

As Elena listened to him casually throw out words of affirmation, she realized that Rahim was best suited as a supportive friend – it was where he was most confident. It was incredibly endearing that he never hesitated to be kind to strangers but hadn’t mastered flirting with women, especially considering how gorgeous he was.

“What about you, Elena?” Gary asked. It was her turn to speak in their little crooked circle of people, since they were going counter-clockwise.

“Undecided,” she shrugged, taking a swig of her drink.

“That’s fair. You’ve got a while to pin down what you wanna do,” Hope said, giving a smile and nod of encouragement.

Elena mirrored her expression weakly.

Not knowing what the hell she wanted to do was a huge insecurity of hers – she knew she wanted to go to college, knew she wanted to go to South Bay University, but past that she had no idea.

She was a burnt out gifted kid who was just pushing herself to take advanced courses until she was magically struck with an epiphany of whatever she was going to devote the rest of her life to doing. Didn’t work well in high school, though – not a single epiphany in Advanced Calculus or College Biology.

The boy next to her said his major, continuing the chain. Rahim crossed the center of the circle to stand beside her, leaning in to murmur in her ear. “Hey, can I talk to you for a sec?”

Her palms clammed up at his proximity. He was sexy, and he made her nervous… until he tripped over his words.

She nodded, and followed him over to the row of empty lounge chairs next to the pool, plopping down on the one across from him, their knees nearly grazing each others’.

“So…” she glanced at him up from her fingers, which were picking at the label on her bottle. “What’s up?”

“Uh… well, I just thought I’d check in and see how you were feeling,” he bounced his leg nervously, meeting her eyes and looking away.

“I’m doing alright. Just a little, um, anxious for school to start, I guess? How about you?” She asked, gesturing at him with a tipped chin.

“Uh, I didn’t mean with us, I meant with school,” he said, waiting for her response.

“So you  _ did _ mean school?”

“Shit, I meant how are you feeling about us,” he cursed, running a hand over his stubble, clearly frustrated. “Sorry, I tend to fumble my words when I’m around pretty women.”

It was so unbelievably candid of him to admit his shortcomings, that Elena was taken aback by that statement, rather than him giving her a genuine compliment.

“You don’t have to apologize, Rahim. You’re good, seriously,” she said, gently patting his leg.

“I’m not sure how I feel, though. I’m trying not to commit to anything since school hasn’t even started, you know? I’m sure you’ll be busy with school, too,” she continued, taking a few small sips from her bottle to prolong her next few words. “I’d rather just keep it casual, see where it goes.”

Rahim’s posture deflated a bit. “Yeah, I kinda expected that after the weird stuff I said on the phone.”

“No, no, it’s more my fault than anything, Rahim – you’re really attractive and so kind. I’m just not really looking for anything too serious right now because I can’t give anybody the attention they deserve.”

“Thanks, Elena. That’s really sweet of you,” he said, bashfully. “You know, I feel you with that, though. I’m gonna be slammed with practices and games year round, so I don’t know if I even have time for it, either –”

“Practices and games?” She asked, brow raised.

“Yeah, did I not tell you? I’m a student athlete. That’s why I’m so far away from home,” he shrugged.

“You’re far from home, too? How long’s the drive?”

“I had to fly. I’m from the west coast. The drive was waaaaay too long. I’m just thankful I live on campus and that Gary has a car,” he said, taking a long drink of water.

“God, it’s kind of refreshing to meet someone from far out of state. Most people I know are in state.”

“Tell me about it. A couple of guys on my team all went to high school with each other. It’s really weird that some of them aren’t willing to let high school go, but I uprooted everything and flew thousands of miles away for a scholarship,” he shrugged, brows raised.

“You never told me what you play,” Elena said, taking another drink from her wine cooler.

“Awe, come on, at least try to guess,” he smiled, bordering on a smirk.

“Hmm, maybe lacrosse? Your polos give me that kind of vibe,” she joked.

The deep bass of his laugh sliced through the loud chatter of the crowds and the live music. “You had to come for my polos, didn’t you?”

“I was just saying!” She cackled, mirroring his volume.

“Nah, I play tennis and golf,” he said after their laughter died down.

“Two sports? You’re crazy,” she shook her head, finishing off her drink.

“You’re absolutely right,” he grinned over his water bottle, taking a deep gulp. “Tennis in the fall, to build up muscle, then golf in the spring. Definitely more passionate about golf, but I’m getting paid to go to school, so I’m not complaining.”

“You’re talented as hell, Rahim. Really.”

“Ah, stop it, I just like sports, that’s all,” he scrubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “You need me to get you another drink?”

“Nah, I can manage. You can go back to the group. I’ll meet you there, if that’s okay? I hope things aren’t weird,” she chewed her lip, standing up from the chair.

“No, they’re not. I’m still fine with being friends if you are,” he smiled, looking a lot more at peace than he did a couple minutes before.

“Of course,” she smiled, holding her arms open for a hug, which he stepped into, wrapping his arms around her shoulders warmly.

He gave her a small wave before jogging back over to the group, the girls deep in conversation, not even noticing Elena walking inside towards the bar.

\----


	9. Intro to Wine Tasting 109

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She was so fucking worried that she was thrusting herself into something new with no care in the world – and maybe she was. Maybe she’d regret mauling Lucas Koh in a swanky wine cellar when they barely knew each others’ names.
> 
> She knew college, specifically freshman year, was going to be a trial and error period. She was gonna make ample mistakes and probably choose the wrong guys to hook up with.
> 
> But Lucas was a mistake she was willing to make.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi !!! back with another chapter !!! this time with a new man who might just throw a wrench into things hehe. complete transparency, i haven't written lucas before, but i've really enjoyed it so far! i think part of the reason he's a little difficult to write is the inconsistency on fb's end (his personality is different post casa imo). but i'm trying to keep true to him as much as i can! please be gentle with me, but also don't hesitate to let me know if there's things i can improve on! :)
> 
> anyways, i really loved writing this chapter and i'm loving getting back into writing for litg at my own pace! as always, thank you so much if you're still reading and if you're enjoying this fic <3

The line for the bar was long, way longer than when they’d showed up twenty minutes before.

The guys at the front were clearly ordering for a ton of girls, naming off multiple drinks so quickly that the poor “bartender” was run ragged.

Elena could barely see over the small crowd of people waiting for drinks, her patience wearing thin with each passing minute. Her friends were probably wondering where she was, and she had no idea if Rahim had told them she’d gone to get a drink or not.

She stood on her tiptoes, trying to catch a glimpse of the front of the line, but to no avail.

“What are you drinking?”

“Huh?” She turned, getting an eyeful of chest, the white button up opened just enough to show the defined lines of his collarbone and the muscle underneath.

“Your drink. What was it?” He asked, face close enough to hers that they were nearly touching.

“Just a wine cooler,” she shrugged, hoping she could play off the heat creeping up her cheeks as an effect of the sticky summer weather as she dabbed her fingers on her forehead and upper lip.

“Be right back,” he smiled, a shallow dimple showing up near his lip, before he winked and disappeared into the crowd to her left.

Did hot guys flock to South Bay? Or was Elena just lucky enough to run into them?

The handsome stranger popped up behind the bar, clapping the stressed bartender on the back, passing out a few beers to the crowd. He said something to the bartender, prompting him to shake his head.

A minute or so later, the stranger was back at her side.

“They’re out of wine coolers,” he sighed. “You’d think they’d’ve ordered more for the first party of the semester.”

“Oh, I’m fine, really. I didn’t need to drink that much anyways,” she said politely, tucking a stray curl behind her ear.

“I’ve got a better idea. Come with me,” he said, offering her his hand.

“Uh… sorry, but I’m not going anywhere with you. I don’t even know your name,” she said, a bit sternly, crossing her arms.

“I’m Lucas. Nice to meet you. And you are?” He smiled, not backing down for a second, outstretching his hand.

“I’m Elena,” she couldn’t help but mirror his smile, grasping his hand, the firm handshake proving just how confident he was.

Trying to get her alone less than five minutes after meeting her? She guessed he was the type who didn’t have to try hard to get girls to swoon. She was falling for it, too, as much as she was trying to resist his charms.

“Can you at least tell me where we’re going? I’m not convinced,” she said, still holding his hand in hers, both of them refusing to loosen their grip.

He tugged her hand forward gently, dipping down to speak in her ear. “I hear there’s a fully stocked wine cellar below the kitchen. Thought we could go steal a bottle.”

She cocked her head to the side slightly, before turning to talk in his ear as well. “This is my first Alpha Mu party. I’m not gonna break into an area that’s off limits and take something that isn’t mine.”

He laughed breathily, the melodic, smooth sound of his laugh directly in her ear raising goosebumps on her skin. “It’ll be fine. Trust me.”

“And just how would you know?” she challenged.

“Because I’m an Alpha Mu,” he pulled back to look her in the eye, holding her gaze. “C’mon, there’s a bottle of Malbec I’ve been eyeing for weeks in there.”

She chewed the inside of her bottom lip, glancing away from his dark eyes – the kind of eyes that looked like they could analyze a person in a single sweep, and she found herself hoping that she passed whatever kind of test Lucas would inevitably give her.

“Sure. Let’s go.”

\----

After a quick bribing of a partygoer to cause a distraction – which was a lot of screaming and shotgunning beer – they were able to slip into the kitchen undetected.

Lucas managed to steal the keys from the makeshift bartender when he’d gone to get her wine cooler, so Elena guessed it’d been his plan all along to sneak down to the cellar.

The kitchen was dark, dimly lit, but even she could tell how massive and professionally furnished it was. The stainless steel appliances were hard to miss, alongside the marble countertops. 

She stumbled, her heel catching in the divot in between the tiles. “Fuck–”

“Whoa, hey, I got you,” he murmured, leading her hand to wrap under his bicep. “Just hold onto me.”

God, he had such a sexy, confident presence, and she was a huge sucker for that. He was so self-assured – she’d known him for ten minutes and she could tell he knew exactly who he was and who he wanted to be.

“I’d turn the lights on, but I don’t want to bring any attention to us,” he said, cautiously stepping forward.

They approached a branch, either going deeper into the kitchen, or a hallway leading to the pantry and fridges. Snuggled right in between those paths was a wooden door, presumably leading to a swanky wine cellar.

“They couldn’t have made it more obvious,” she mumbled.

His laugh cut through the quiet, even more beautiful than the last. She could get used to hearing it. Next to Bobby’s raspy cackle, and Chelsea’s uncontrollable giggles, Lucas’s had a fighting chance as one of her favorite sounds.

“They could’ve just put a ‘Wine here’ sign on the door and it’d have the same effect,” he agreed, the skeleton key he’d swiped opening the door with ease.

The stairs leading down to it were regal, just like the rest of the house. The endless racks of wine were even more impressive than that.

“I can see why they said this place was off limits for everybody,” she murmured as she grabbed a bottle by the neck and cautiously slid it out, skimming the label.

“1978? Holy shit.”

“You’ve got a good eye,” he smiled, pulling another one out from the slot close by. “Expensive tastes will get you everywhere with me.”

“Aren’t there any… cheap wines down here? Something I won’t feel guilty about chugging?” She asked, sliding the bottle back in its place. “I don’t want crushing imposter’s syndrome every time I take a sip.”

He laughed again, rolling his eyes. “Great wine is for everyone to enjoy.”

“Tell that to my bank account, Lucas,” she quipped, walking farther down to grab another bottle at random.

“A good laugh is exactly what I needed tonight. Thanks,” he said sincerely before grabbing a bottle from a bottom rack across from her.

“This one’s like $40. Probably the cheapest we’ll get in here.”

“That’s good enough for me!” She said, snatching the bottle from his hands.

“Let me grab the corkscrew –”

“No, I can open it. It’s not really ‘ladylike’ of me, but…” she trailed off, making a circular motion with her finger. “Turn around, please. It’ll be quick.”

He raised a brow, but obeyed, swivelling around. She quickly grasped the bottle between her thighs and dug her house key into the cork, until it was about halfway out. She then grabbed the cork between her back teeth and tugged, the soft pop making Lucas glance over as she spat the cork out, taking the first swig.

“Mmmm. This is infinitely better than the wine cooler.”

“You got that right,” he smirked, taking the bottle from her outstretched hand and taking a deep drink. “Sorry I didn’t get any glasses for us.”

She shook her head. “Don’t apologize. I don’t mind.”

She slid down onto the ground, unbuckling her heels, peeling them from her feet, blisters already starting to form. “God, I shouldn’t have worn these.”

He sat next to her, crossing his legs, setting the bottle down, the clink ringing off of the stone floor. “Well, you look great.”

“Thank you,” she said under her breath, suddenly acutely aware of their touching arms and the way their voices echoed off the stone.

“So…” he trailed off, looking a little unsure. Like he hadn’t planned past getting her alone.

“So?”

“How are you liking Asvista Cove so far?” He asked, turning his torso towards her to give her his full attention.

“I love it. It’s such a breath of fresh air. I needed to get out of the city,” she said, leaning back against the wall. A split second later, she sat up, brows furrowed. “How did you know I was new around here?”

“It’s pretty easy to tell who’s from here and who’s not,” he shrugged, picking at the label on the bottle. “I was new here last year.”

“You’re from out of state too? I’ve met like, one other person that’s not from around here,” 

“Yeah, I’m from New York,” he pointed upwards. “Needed to get out of the city, too. I’m a long ways from home.”

“You’re telling me,” she sighed, taking another sip of wine, the pleasant warm buzz slowly spreading through her limbs.

“Your parents try to force you to stay home too?”

“Yeah, they tried to act like they were okay with me going out of state, but they’d keep sliding me pamphlets from the university down the road. Not subtle at all,” she laughed, reminiscing on the blatant attempts by her parents to keep her close. “What’d your parents do?”

He blew air out of his cheeks, scrubbing his hand through his hair. “‘What didn’t they do?’ is a better question.”

She handed the bottle to him, waiting for him to continue.

“My dad wanted me to go to his alma mater, an ivy league I won’t mention because it’ll make me look like a rich prick,” he chuckled, pausing to drink. “I didn’t want to get in because of his accomplishments instead of my own. Earning things I work for… that I deserve... is important to me.

“So, after a lot of arguing with my dad, I said fuck it and thought I’d go to South Bay instead. It’s my mom’s alma mater. Plus I got a pretty hefty scholarship,” Lucas smiled, tipping the bottle back again.

“That you earned?”

“Exactly,” he nodded.

Before she could stop herself, she blurted out borderline intrusive questions.

“You said you needed a good laugh? Are you alright?” 

He quirked a brow, setting the bottle down as he sized her up, probably checking for ulterior motives, before answering. “Yeah. Just been dealing with a lot of stress lately. Gearing up for the MCAT and med school applications. Feeling a little overwhelmed because I’m sure this is what I want to do, but I’m gonna be tied down for the rest of my life, you know?”

“Med school? How old are you?” She scrunched her nose, before slapping her hand over her mouth. “Oh god, I’m sorry.”

He laughed, “No, it’s fine, it’s a valid question. I’m still in undergrad. Just thinking ahead. My birthday was a couple weeks ago, actually.”

“My birthday is in a couple weeks, too,” she shook her head, curls bouncing. “Whew, I thought you were way older.”

“Nah, I just took a lot of courses so I wouldn’t have to go home for breaks. And now I get to graduate a year early. So it’s a win-win,” he shrugged. “Happy early birthday.”

“Thank you. Happy late birthday,” she said, before they settled into a comfortable silence, continuing to pass the bottle back and forth.

“So someday I could be treated by Dr. Lucas…” she trailed off, pursing her lips.

“Koh. Dr. Lucas Koh,” he finished. “And you’re Elena…” 

“Verano,” nodded.

“That’s a gorgeous last name,” he flashed her a swoon-worthy smile, handing her the bottle.

“Thank you,” she blinked, unable to meet his eye.

_ Elena… this isn’t the time to get flustered and weird. Don’t take another sip. Just focus on your words, and you’ll be fine. _

“Honestly, I don’t know why you went through all this trouble to get me alone. There’s a lot of girls here,” she crossed her arms over her knees, shrugging.

“Yeah, but they’re not you,” Lucas smiled, picking up the bottle and offering it to her.

“Okay, and you’re obviously kind of popular and I’ve been in town for like two weeks,” she said, before taking a deep gulp, the bitterness coating her throat like the self-deprecating words that’d just travelled up it. “I’m just saying, I’m a little shocked… because you’re very much my type.”

“Wow, so Pinot Noir is the gateway to honesty for you, huh?” He smirked, crossing his arms.

“I’m not drunk yet, I’m just comfortable with you, I guess,” she shrugged, shaking the bottle, realizing it was nearly empty.

“I didn’t want to tell anybody I was an Alpha Mu tonight, to be honest. Just wanted to meet people for more than my ‘connection’ you know? First party of the year is always the best, because nobody really knows who’s in the fraternity, who wants to get in, who’s girlfriend is who… it’s like a clean slate,” he sighed, chewing the corner of his lip.

“So I take it people have used you before,” she stated rather than asked.

“Yeah.”

“Well, I can promise you the only thing I’ll use you for is invites to more of these parties,” she joked.

“As long as I’m here, I’ll make sure you have an invite,” he patted her leg, an amused smile playing on his lips.

Before she had time to think about it, she laid her hand on his, curling her slender fingers between his own. He slowly tugged her hand upwards to his mouth, pressing a soft kiss to her knuckles.

“Lucas…” she whispered, half-lidded eyes fixated on his lips. His tongue flicked out to wet his parted lips, before watching it stretch between his teeth as he murmured her name.

She surged forward, capturing his lips in a frenzied kiss, pent up sexual tension coming to a head. He groaned against her mouth, his hand cupping her jaw as he parted her lips with his tongue, the bitter taste of the pinot noir lingering.

His right arm wrapped around her waist, hand gripping her hip, the fabric of her dress bunched in his fist.

“Are you okay with this?” He pulled back, searching her eyes, his nearly black irises laced with a sincerity she was thankful to see.

She was so fucking worried that she was thrusting herself into something new with no care in the world – and maybe she was. Maybe she’d regret mauling Lucas Koh in a swanky wine cellar when they barely knew each others’ names.

She knew college, specifically freshman year, was going to be a trial and error period. She was gonna make ample mistakes and probably choose the wrong guys to hook up with.

But Lucas was a mistake she was willing to make.

It felt so right – so natural – to kiss him. Like his lips and hands were a missing puzzle piece she so desperately needed that completed whatever she’d been looking for, when she didn’t even know she was looking for anything at all.

In one conversation she could tell how perfect he was for her. His drive, his confidence, his assuredness – she needed someone to ground her, to push her to be better than she was.

She didn’t even know if she’d get past a meaningless makeout or if it’d become something more than that. Either way, she was willing to take that chance because of a short conversation.

His hands were gentle, holding her carefully, while his mouth was the opposite – the firm and controlled movements of his lips against her own pulled involuntary sighs from her lungs.

She didn’t know how long they’d kissed by the time they broke away. He cupped her jaw, giving her one last soft kiss, before pressing their foreheads together.

“Wow,” she whispered, out of breath, bringing her hand to cover his, which was still on her jaw.

“Did you feel it, too?” He said, equally out of breath.

She nodded, leaning back against the wall, running a hand through her hair.

He looked at her for a bit longer before leaning back as well.

The silence wasn’t an awkward one – it was reflective. The moment they’d shared was mindblowing for both of them, and completely unexpected. There was a spark of something there that was undeniable. They’d both felt it.

“I want to hear more about you,” he said finally, playing with the label of the bottle as he spoke. “Sorry I talked about myself so much before.”

“No, don’t apologize. I’ve really liked getting to know you,” she smiled, before pulling her knees to her chest. “What do you wanna know?”

He shrugged. “Anything you’d be comfortable telling me.”

“Well, I’m kinda boring if I’m being honest.”

“You’re not, Elena. I promise.”

She launched into a general spiel, a little more in depth than what she told Bobby – some more details about her high school, how different Asvista Cove was from her home, what she was most and least looking forward to in college…

Time passed quickly, the conversation smooth, and easy, and effortless. She felt so comfortable with Lucas, like they’d been friends forever.

He looked like a trust fund kid, but he was really just a lost soul trying to distance himself from his rich boy aura and separate himself from the image his parents all but forced on him. He was craving change and independence, just like Elena, just in a different form.

Her phone pinged, popping the bubble that encompassed their in depth discussion. Her screen flashed with nearly a dozen messages from their roommate group chat, mostly from Chelsea, adorned with her favorite emojis.

“Oh, my friends are asking me where I am. I probably need to go,” she said, reluctantly.

“No, of course, get back to your friends. I’m just glad I was able to get you alone, because I honestly haven’t had a conversation this great in a long time,” Lucas smiled, pushing off the wall to stand, offering his hand to her.

She grasped it, and he tugged her up, nearly flush to his chest, their faces close. He leaned in slowly, cautiously, like he was testing if it was alright, before pressing a soft kiss to the corner of her lip.

“Am I gonna see you again?” He said, hand still covering hers.

“Yeah,” she said, without hesitation.

“Here, give me your number,” he said, handing his phone over. 

Soon enough, they’d snuck back to the party, and they’d split from each other – not before exchanging a quick kiss in the kitchen.

“Elena! Hey, where have you been? We missed you,” Hope greeted, slurring slightly, leaning in for a hug.

“Just mingling,” she said, wrapping her arm around her waist in a side hug. “Sorry I was gone for so long. I lost track of time, you know?”

“I completely understand that,” Hope blinked, barely focusing her eyes on Elena’s face.

The rest of her roommates approached her, followed by Rahim and Gary. 

Chelsea scurried right up to Elena, wrapping her arms around her neck. “You’ll never guess who we ran into!”

She glanced around, settling on the new face standing with the group. The tall, bronzed girl blended in perfectly with the expensive decor – she was beautiful, elegant, and seemingly too fucking cool to be hanging out at a frat party, regardless of how rich they were. 

“This is Priya! I wanted to introduce her to everyone, like, a week ago, but we were all doing our own thing at the Thirsty Jerk’s,” Chelsea nodded, gesturing to her. “Priya, this is Elena. Elena, Priya.”

“Hey! It’s so nice to meet you,” Priya grinned, leaning forward to wrap Elena in a hug.

“Nice to meet you, too,” she smiled, squeezing her back. “We’ve only heard great things about you from Chelsea.”

Priya laughed. “Same about all of you. I was honestly really excited to hang out with all of you because she makes you sound like the most fun group.”

“Awe, Chels. You’re such a sweetheart,” Hope said, leaning in to wrap Chelsea in a hug.

“Hope’s so, like, affectionate when she’s drunk. It’s so sweet,” Chelsea laughed while being crushed against Hope’s chest, blushing a little at the attention.

Lottie had seemingly been quiet from her place at the edge of the group, arms crossed, brows set like she’d rather have been anywhere else. She’d been quiet most of the night, but even more so when Elena returned from the wine cellar.

The group mingled, chatting about the upcoming school year, all of them equal parts nervous and excited about starting the fall semester.

Priya offhandedly mentioned her gap year and explained why she was a bit older than everyone, which didn’t really surprise them. She was coming up on the big two-one, already planning a week-long booze-a-thon despite it being months away.

The party became more wild and packed as the night went on, the group forced to hang outside near the pool. Hope was draped across the chaise lounger, hand propping her head up, eyes glassy and unfocused as she nodded along and talked, despite not really adding anything to the conversation because of her drunken state. Elena sat upright in front of her on the same lounger, facing Chelsea and Priya. 

They sat across from them, the gap between the chairs enough for Rahim, Gary, and Lottie to stand between.

Lottie appeared to grow increasingly annoyed with everyone, checking her phone often on and off, contributing nothing, slowly transitioning into just scrolling through social media and ignoring the conversation entirely..

By the end of the night the group was a lot closer, like they’d been friends for years. Elena’s confidence was boosted by knowing she’d made friends outside of her roommates already – ones she knew were welcoming and willing to go the extra mile to make her feel at home at South Bay and Asvista Cove.

“I think it’s my turn to take care of her,” Chelsea said, giggling and pointing to Hope who was passed out on the chair, hand still propping up her head.

“Are we going?” Lottie asked, bluntly, shoving her phone in her purse. The look on her face wasn’t one of disgust, but it wasn’t entirely pleasant.

“Yeah,” Chelsea answered, blinking like she’d been insulted.

“You mind dropping me off at Shafer Hall?” Priya asked, oblivious to the tension. “It’s like right down the road.”

“Of course,” Elena said, smiling, trying to break the weird atmosphere. She glanced at Lottie, catching her rolling her eyes.

Elena had no idea what changed when she left, but there was an undeniable shift in Lottie’s attitude, and it was making them uncomfortable. She decided they’d address it when they got back to the apartment.

“You’re heading out?” Gary asked as the girls stood.

“Yeah, Hope’s done for the night and we’ve got a lot of stuff to sort through before Monday,” Elena smiled, stepping into Gary’s outstretched arms. “It was so nice to meet you.”

“Well, don’t be a stranger,” he chuckled, hugging her. “We’re always down to clown.”

Rahim laughed at that, also stepping forward to give Elena a hug. “Ignore him. But yeah, if you need anything let us know. We should all hang out again soon.”

“For sure,” Chelsea chirped, squeezing Gary tightly. “Housewarming party incoming!”

After they said their goodbyes and dropped Priya off, the ride home was uncharacteristically quiet. Chelsea hummed off key, Hope snored softly in the backseat, and Lottie was silent, staring at her phone.

When they walked in the apartment, Lottie made a beeline for her room, slamming the door behind her without a second glance.

After tucking Hope into bed, Chelsea followed Elena into her room. She flung herself onto the bed, curling up into a small ball, burying her head into her hands.

“Awe, Chels…” She said, perching herself on the edge of the bed next to her curled form. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Chelsea sniffled, rolling over on her back, short waves splayed around her like a halo of blonde. “I just don’t know why she was acting like that, like, I really don’t know what we did wrong,” she whispered, lip quivering.

“I don’t think we did anything wrong, babe. If she keeps acting like this, we can gently bring it up and talk it out,” Elena suggested, bending over to take her heels off for the final time that night.

“Yeah. You’re right,” she sighed, turning over again to wrap an arm around Elena’s waist, hugging her. “You’re the best.”

Elena wordlessly patted her hand, before standing up to strip her dress off, opting for a tank top and pajama shorts. As she changed, Chelsea laid on her back, staring at the ceiling.

“So where’d you run off to for the night?”

She stiffened, but tried to play it off as the brush catching a tangle as she ran it through her hair. “What do you mean?”   
  
“Don’t lie to me, El. I know you met someone! You had this, like, cute smile on your face after you got back,” Chelsea said, sitting up.

“If I tell you can you keep it a secret? I just –” She cut herself off, trying to choose her words carefully before continuing. “I’m conflicted. I’d rather keep it between us.”

“Pinky swear I won’t tell anyone,” she smiled, holding up her manicured finger for Elena to hook with her own.

“I met someone, and he was…” she trailed off, plopping onto the bed next to Chelsea. “Perfect.”

“Oh my god,  _ spill _ .”

Elena gushed over Lucas for a while, recounting his smoothness, his confidence, his attractiveness. Everything from the “break-in” to the kiss. Chelsea watched her with huge eyes, a cheshire grin stretched across her features.

“I don’t know where Bobby fits into all of this,” Elena sighed, throwing an arm over her eyes.

“You can just date both of them, like, casually to test the waters, as long as you’re completely transparent about it,” she suggested.

“I told you I can’t date anyone during my first year. I can’t handle a relationship right now.”

Chelsea rolled her eyes. “Girl, you’re dimming your shine. Like, you should be able to let loose and have some fun.”

“School hasn’t even started yet! I can’t just throw my concentration out the window –”

“– You’ve been to, like, three parties already –”

“– That’s besides the point. I was getting it out of my system,” Elena said, covering her face again, this time with both arms, missing Chelsea’s frustrated expression. “I didn’t think a fucking party would complicate my life even more.”

“Look, El,” Chelsea said, a bit sternly, in a tone that Elena didn’t recognize. “Don’t create problems where they don’t exist. It’s, like, mental health 101. Be kind to yourself, because you’re gonna run yourself ragged before midterms. And you’re not a bad person for being attracted to two guys.”

Elena peeked out from under her arms, a warm feeling in her chest at the sincerity of her friend’s words.

“Besides, you’ve got four years ahead of you. You’ve got plenty of time to figure it out,” Chelsea said, hopping up from the bed, heading towards the door.

“God, I fucking hope so.”

After they said their goodnights, Elena was left with her thoughts, the feeling of anxiety pooling in her stomach like a tight knot she couldn’t untie, no matter how hard she tried to distract herself.

First semester was always the roughest, from what she’d heard – home sickness, adjusting to classes, balancing work with play. A part of her was dreading the potential fallout.

But another, more reckless side of her that she never acknowledged, was screaming at her to think about the positives. For the first time in her life, she was desired – really, truly desired – by men that she thought were way out of her league.

If she could get through her first week, it’d be enough for Elena. It’d be proof she didn’t make the biggest mistake of her life choosing South Bay University.

––––

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tumblr: @zigtheeortega (main / choices) @judgebobby (litg - inactive) @masonscig (twc)!! <3


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